The Violinist, Singapore's first animated historical film, set for August 2026 release
The Violinist is set against the backdrop of colonial Singapore, the Japanese Occupation and the turbulent decades that follow.
The story begins before the war and follows Fei, a violinist from a Peranakan family, and her close friend Kai, also a violinist. After the Japanese invasion of Singapore in 1941, Kai joins the resistance, but he disappears after the war. Fei spends decades performing around the region while searching for her missing friend. Her journey is marked by grief, and also hope.
Singapore actors voicing the characters include Tan Kheng Hua, Adrian Pang, Ayden Sng and Fang Rong. Japanese actor Kazuya Tanabe voices a character who appears during the Occupation. Golden Horse Award-winning local musician Ricky Ho will compose music for the project.
In a press statement, the film's co-director Ervin Han called The Violinist a tribute to 'a generation shaped by history'.
'I wanted to tell a story that lives in the space between history and imagination, one that honours the people who endured and the quiet courage that history often overlooks,' says Han, who also co-wrote the screenplay. He shares the writing and directing credits with veteran Spanish animator Raul Garcia, whose animation credits include Disney classics like Beauty And The Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992) and The Lion King (1994).
The Violinist is a co-production between Singapore's Robot Playground Media, co-founded by Han, Spain's TV ON Producciones and Italy's Altri Occhi.
Don Chen, director of the Singapore Film Commission and senior principal consultant with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), calls the film 'a breakthrough for Singapore storytelling'.
'It is the first time our history has been brought to life through animation in a way that has captured global interest. This achievement does more than showcase our creative talent; it opens the door for future generations of local talents to share stories of our home and our dreams,' he said.
At a press event held on July 15 at IMDA's innovation space Pixel in one-north, Han, 50, says the film is about 'music and memory' - 'the things we hold on to, the things we search for, and the things we have to let go of to find something new'.
The feature, adapted from Han's 2016 short film The Violin, has taken eight years to develop.
'We wanted the The Violinist to be rooted not just in character but in a place, specifically in Singapore and Malaya. We spent years establishing a high level of authenticity in the historical locations seen in the film,' he says.
Fei's Peranakan family home, for example, is based on the NUS Baba House in conservation district Blair Plain.
Fei's Peranakan family home is inspired by the NUS Baba House, a heritage site that was once the home of a Straits Chinese family.
The track record for Singapore animated features has been marked by ups and downs. The 3D animated fantasies Legend Of The Sea (2007) and Zodiac: The Race Begins (2006) were acknowledged to be critical and commercial failures, while the animated drama Tatsumi (2011) from celebrated Singapore film-maker Eric Khoo was more positively received on the festival circuit and was selected to be Singapore's entry to the Best Foreign Language category at the 2012 Academy Awards, but did not make the final shortlist.
Han says he is aware of the risk he is taking but says that making a film in Singapore, be it live-action or animation, involves taking a bet on one's instincts.
'Who in their right mind would make an animated film? Maybe there's a good reason why no one has made one in so long. Tatsumi was released 14 years ago. But I can't help it. It's what I love,' he says.
Producer Justin Deimen calls The Violinist a 'very Singaporean film that crosses cultures'. It is not aimed at the arthouse or prestige end of the market, but will be a film for 'children in higher primary, their parents and their grandparents', he says. - The Straits Times/ANN
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