Pleasure Factory
Encyclopedia
Pleasure Factory is a 2007 docudrama
film set in Geylang
, the red-light district
of Singapore
. Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham
, the film was selected for the Un Certain Regard
competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
.
The film is unusual in East Asian cinema for its very frank depiction of subjects traditionally hidden in Asian society, such as prostitution and same-sex relationships, and features explicit male nudity.
, Singapore
's red-light district
. There are three distinct stories, united only by the presence of characters from all the stories in a streetside eatery:
, the red-light district
of Singapore
.
"In the old days, the Geylang area used to be populated by processing factories for the coconut plantations," director Ekachai Uekrongtham said in notes prepared for the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
. "These days, the machines are still running at full steam – producing pleasure for those seeking it, night after night. With Pleasure Factory, I've tried to strip bare the shields that prevent characters in the film from experiencing true pleasure. I'd like the film to have a vivid sense of realism and honesty. I'd like it to confront a world that's at once seedy and beautiful, dark and bright, sad and humorous, cold and warm, naked and all wrapped up. If pleasure can be mass-produced, what would be left on the assembly line when the machines stop?"
The film is the second feature film for director Ekachai, a Singapore-based theatre director who had previously directed the 2003
Thai biographical drama film, Beautiful Boxer
.
It is a co-production of Singapore-based Spicy Apple Films, the Hong Kong-Netherlands company, Fortissimo Films and Singapore's InnoForm Media.
who had been in such films as Ang Lee
's Eat Drink Man Woman
and Tsai Ming-liang
's Goodbye, Dragon Inn
, and Ananda Everingham
from the Thai
horror hit, Shutter
. Other actors were newcomers, found through street casting in Geylang
and around Singapore
.
.
It was acclaimed by European critics who attended the premiere screening. Nana A. T. Rebhan of Germany's arts and culture Channel Arte
described the film as a "convincing portrait of a never-before-seen red-light district" and said "what makes this movie so special are the moments when people in the 'factory' step out of their usual rhythms - not functioning the way they should, unsure of their own actions and emotions."
Leonardo Lardieri of Italy's Sentieri Selvaggi
called the film "a pleasurable surprise" and said it was able to "capture the fragility, the sense of abandonment and the pulsation of incessant desire - in a chain of beginnings and ends that continue to reincarnate itself night after night."
The approach of the film was described by other critics as "characterized by a unique tenderness."
French website Monsieur Cinema said "visually, the film is an enchantment – a contemplative waltz powered by the lights." It also said the director managed to "coldly show the horrors of sexual subordination and the distress of pleasure slaves" but "was also able to give the film a light touch when needed."
Orient Extrême called the film "a beautiful surprise" and said it's "a brilliant film on loneliness which avoids pessimism, and surprises by its mature and enlightened glance on a world too often caricaturized."
It was poorly received by critic Russell Edwards of the film industry journal Variety
, who called the digital-video film "shoddy" and said "neither sexual nor audience satisfaction is guaranteed." Because of homoerotic
elements, Edwards said he thought the film's chances of release in Singapore were slim. In the past, government censors
had banned films with homosexual
themes, such as Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Birdcage
.
However, Christopher Chia, chief executive of Singapore's Media Development Authority
, indicated in an interview that the film would be welcome, signaling that Singapore is loosening up on artistic expressions of sexuality. "We don't freak out about these things these days," Chia was quoted as saying.
The director Ekachai expressed optimism that his film would be shown in Singapore cinemas, saying "I think Singapore has been making conscious efforts to be less rigid. The country has a proper film classification system in place. It's also aspiring to have the creative freedom that comes with being a first-world country."
The Media Development Authority announced in October that Pleasure Factory was among a record five Singaporean
films playing at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival
, where is was screened in the "Midnight Passion" section.
The film had a limited release in Thailand cinemas on October 18, 2007, and was expected to be released in Singapore on October 25.
instrumental tracks.
The song during the opening credits is "Gei Wo Yige Wen" ("Give Me A Kiss") performed by Chang Loo. "Yueliang Daibiao Wo De Xin" ("The Moon Represents My Heart
") is the busker's song. "Jinxiao Duo Zhenzhang" ("This Precious Night"), performed by Cui Ping, is played after the story of the Girl in Red and the busker.
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
film set in Geylang
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
, the red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham
Ekachai Uekrongtham
Ekachai Uekrongtham is a Thai theatre and film director. Based in Singapore, Ekachai is the founding artistic director of ACTION Theatre, a Singapore professional theatre company....
, the film was selected for the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
.
The film is unusual in East Asian cinema for its very frank depiction of subjects traditionally hidden in Asian society, such as prostitution and same-sex relationships, and features explicit male nudity.
Plot
A series of intertwining tales involve "pleasure seekers and pleasure providers" during the course of one night in GeylangGeylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
. There are three distinct stories, united only by the presence of characters from all the stories in a streetside eatery:
- Jonathan, who has yet to lose his virginityVirginityVirginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
, is escorted around Geylang by his army buddy, Kiat, who wants to help his friend make his passage into manhood. The two men visit various brothels, where the touts bestow the various qualities and nationalities of their women, who hail from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and elsewhere. Jonathan eventually settles on a young Chinese woman whom he envisions being wrapped in a towel. - A teenage girl is called to meet an older prostituteProstitutionProstitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in a hotel room, where the older woman, Linda, is servicing a heavyset older man, who wants to take the younger girl's virginity. The girl is followed to the hotel by a young man named Chris. When she goes in the hotel room, Chris sits outside and waits. - A woman in a red dress gets in a convertibleConvertibleA convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
with a man. She later shows up at the streetside restaurant and pays a young buskerBuskingStreet performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
for his "special song", which he doesn't end up singing, and instead is taken back to the woman's room.
Cast
- Yang Kuei-MeiYang Kuei-MeiYang Kuei-Mei is a Taiwanese actress. She has had starring roles in Eat Drink Man Woman, Vive L'Amour and The Hole.-Career:Yang has received several awards for her acting...
as Linda - Ananda EveringhamAnanda EveringhamAnanda Everingham is a Laotian-Australian film actor who was born in Thailand. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, Shutter.-Biography:...
as Chris - Zihan LooZihan LooZihan Loo is a gay Singaporean actor, film director and dancer.He has been open about both his own homosexuality and depicting gay themes in his films, despite the subject being particularly taboo in Southeast Asian society. His first film, Solos, was withdrawn from its début screening at the 20th...
as Jonathan - Katashi Chen as Kiat
- Jeszlene ZhouJeszlene ZhouJeszlene Zhou is a Singapore-based actress of Chinese descent. An actress who roots her beginnings to indie films, Jeszlene has since ventured into television and other commercial projects.-Feature Films:-Short Films:...
as Girl in Red Dress - Isabella Chen as Teenage Girl
- Xu Er as Girl in White Towel
- Ian Francis Low as Busker
Origins
According to the film's production notes, Pleasure Factory is the first feature film to be shot entirely on actual locations in GeylangGeylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
, the red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
"In the old days, the Geylang area used to be populated by processing factories for the coconut plantations," director Ekachai Uekrongtham said in notes prepared for the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
. "These days, the machines are still running at full steam – producing pleasure for those seeking it, night after night. With Pleasure Factory, I've tried to strip bare the shields that prevent characters in the film from experiencing true pleasure. I'd like the film to have a vivid sense of realism and honesty. I'd like it to confront a world that's at once seedy and beautiful, dark and bright, sad and humorous, cold and warm, naked and all wrapped up. If pleasure can be mass-produced, what would be left on the assembly line when the machines stop?"
The film is the second feature film for director Ekachai, a Singapore-based theatre director who had previously directed the 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
Thai biographical drama film, Beautiful Boxer
Beautiful Boxer
Beautiful Boxer is a Thai biographical sports film by Singapore-based director Ekachai Uekrongtham. It tells the life story of Nong Thoom, a famous kathoey , Muay Thai fighter, actress and model...
.
It is a co-production of Singapore-based Spicy Apple Films, the Hong Kong-Netherlands company, Fortissimo Films and Singapore's InnoForm Media.
Casting
The major known cast members are Taiwanese actress Yang Kuei-meiYang Kuei-Mei
Yang Kuei-Mei is a Taiwanese actress. She has had starring roles in Eat Drink Man Woman, Vive L'Amour and The Hole.-Career:Yang has received several awards for her acting...
who had been in such films as Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Ang Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
's Eat Drink Man Woman
Eat Drink Man Woman
Eat Drink Man Woman is a Taiwanese film directed by Ang Lee and starring Sihung Lung, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-mei Yang. Many of the cast had starred in Ang Lee's previous film, The Wedding Banquet with Sihung Lung and Ah Lei Gua once more playing central elderly figures, and Winston Chao...
and Tsai Ming-liang
Tsai Ming-liang
Tsai Ming-liang is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of Taiwanese Cinema, along with earlier contemporaries such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang...
's Goodbye, Dragon Inn
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
Goodbye, Dragon Inn is a 2003 Taiwanese film directed by Tsai Ming-liang about the last feature at a historic Taipei cinema.-Plot:...
, and Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham is a Laotian-Australian film actor who was born in Thailand. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, Shutter.-Biography:...
from the Thai
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
horror hit, Shutter
Shutter (Thai film)
Shutter is a 2004 Thai horror film by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom; starring Ananda Everingham, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee, and Achita Sikamana...
. Other actors were newcomers, found through street casting in Geylang
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
and around Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Reception
The film was an "official selection" for the Un Certain Regard programme at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
.
It was acclaimed by European critics who attended the premiere screening. Nana A. T. Rebhan of Germany's arts and culture Channel Arte
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
described the film as a "convincing portrait of a never-before-seen red-light district" and said "what makes this movie so special are the moments when people in the 'factory' step out of their usual rhythms - not functioning the way they should, unsure of their own actions and emotions."
Leonardo Lardieri of Italy's Sentieri Selvaggi
Sentieri selvaggi
Sentieri Selvaggi is an Italian musical ensemble, specialising in contemporary music.It was founded in 1997 by Carlo Boccadoro, Filippo Del Corno and Angelo Miotto...
called the film "a pleasurable surprise" and said it was able to "capture the fragility, the sense of abandonment and the pulsation of incessant desire - in a chain of beginnings and ends that continue to reincarnate itself night after night."
The approach of the film was described by other critics as "characterized by a unique tenderness."
French website Monsieur Cinema said "visually, the film is an enchantment – a contemplative waltz powered by the lights." It also said the director managed to "coldly show the horrors of sexual subordination and the distress of pleasure slaves" but "was also able to give the film a light touch when needed."
Orient Extrême called the film "a beautiful surprise" and said it's "a brilliant film on loneliness which avoids pessimism, and surprises by its mature and enlightened glance on a world too often caricaturized."
It was poorly received by critic Russell Edwards of the film industry journal Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, who called the digital-video film "shoddy" and said "neither sexual nor audience satisfaction is guaranteed." Because of homoerotic
Homoeroticism
Homoeroticism refers to the erotic attraction between members of the same sex, either male–male or female–female , most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the visual arts and literature. It can also be found in performative forms; from theatre to the theatricality of uniformed movements...
elements, Edwards said he thought the film's chances of release in Singapore were slim. In the past, government censors
Censorship in Singapore
Censorship in Singapore mainly targets sexual, political, racial and religious issues, as defined by out-of-bounds markers.-Implementation:The Media Development Authority approves publications, issues arts entertainment licences and enforces the Free-to-air TV Programme Code, Cable TV Programme...
had banned films with homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
themes, such as Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Birdcage
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
.
However, Christopher Chia, chief executive of Singapore's Media Development Authority
Media Development Authority
The Media Development Authority is a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts .-History:...
, indicated in an interview that the film would be welcome, signaling that Singapore is loosening up on artistic expressions of sexuality. "We don't freak out about these things these days," Chia was quoted as saying.
The director Ekachai expressed optimism that his film would be shown in Singapore cinemas, saying "I think Singapore has been making conscious efforts to be less rigid. The country has a proper film classification system in place. It's also aspiring to have the creative freedom that comes with being a first-world country."
The Media Development Authority announced in October that Pleasure Factory was among a record five Singaporean
Cinema of Singapore
Despite having a flourishing Chinese and Malay film industry in the 1950s and 1960s, Singapore's film industry declined after independence in 1965. There were a few films that featured Singaporean actors and were set in Singapore, including Saint Jack and They Call Her Cleopatra Wong...
films playing at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
, where is was screened in the "Midnight Passion" section.
The film had a limited release in Thailand cinemas on October 18, 2007, and was expected to be released in Singapore on October 25.
Soundtrack
The score is composed by Bruno Brugnano, and consists of ambientAmbient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
instrumental tracks.
The song during the opening credits is "Gei Wo Yige Wen" ("Give Me A Kiss") performed by Chang Loo. "Yueliang Daibiao Wo De Xin" ("The Moon Represents My Heart
The Moon Represents My Heart
"The Moon Represents My Heart" is a Chinese song that was written by an anonymous writer and made famous by Teresa Teng in the 1970s. A "love song with a waltz-like lilt", it has been covered by many performers since Teng's death in 1995 and remains one of her best-known hits.-Cultural...
") is the busker's song. "Jinxiao Duo Zhenzhang" ("This Precious Night"), performed by Cui Ping, is played after the story of the Girl in Red and the busker.