1965 (film)

1965
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRandy Ang
Daniel Yun
Written byAndrew Ngin Chiang Meng
Randy Ang
Daniel Yun
Produced byDaniel Yun
Ng Say Yong
StarringQi Yuwu
Deanna Yusoff
Joanne Peh
James Seah
Sezairi Sezali
Mike Kasem
Lim Kay Tong
CinematographyAmandi Wong
Edited byLawrence Ang
Music byAlex Oh
Production
companies
Blue3 Pictures
mm2 Entertainment
Distributed byShaw Organisation
Release date
  • 30 July 2015 (2015-07-30)
Running time
130 minutes
CountrySingapore
LanguagesEnglish
Mandarin
Malay
BudgetS$2.8 million
Box officeUS$436,690[1]

1965 is a 2015 Singaporean historical thriller film directed by Randy Ang and co-directed by Daniel Yun. The film was released to commemorate Singapore's fifty years of independence and was released in cinemas on 30 July 2015. It stars Qi Yuwu, Deanna Yusoff, Joanne Peh, James Seah, Sezairi Sezali, Mike Kasem, and Lim Kay Tong as Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Cast

Production

The film was conceptualised in five years. The film shooting started in November 2014, with the biggest percentage shot in Batam, at various locations, and at Infinite Studios’ sound stages there.[2]

Tony Leung Chiu-wai was initially supposed to play the role of Lee Kuan Yew. However, many Singaporeans were against this, as there was the preference of having a Singaporean actor for this role. The role was given to Lim Kay Tong. David Lee of the Singapore Film Society said that Lim "has the gravitas required of the role, and he's English-speaking as well".[3] Lim prepared for the role for several months and visited the National Archives of Singapore at least five times a week to study Lee's audio and film clips.[4]

Music

The two songs written for the film were Sezairi Sezali's "Selamat Pagi" and Gentle Bones' "Sixty Five". The latter was on the top of the iTunes Singapore song chart for four weeks.

Reception

John Lui of The Straits Times gave 1965 a 1.5 out of 5 stars. He said "it wants to be Important, with a capital I", and "it feels only slightly more relevant to the national birthday than a chicken bun with an SG50 sticker slapped on it."[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "1965". Box Office Mojo. IMDB. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. ^ Loh, Genevieve (2 September 2014). "SG50 film 1965 to start filming in November". Today. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  3. ^ Ng, Gwen (8 October 2014). "Lim Kay Tong to play founding PM Lee Kuan Yew in the movie 1965". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  4. ^ Yip, Wai Yee (29 July 2015). "Challenge playing Lee Kuan Yew". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. ^ Lui, John (29 July 2015). "Singapore movie 1965 wants to be 'important' but falls far short". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.