Interview: Ken Kwek on 'Unlucky Plaza'

Ken Kwek is no stranger to controversy. Last year, his trio of short films (Sex.Violence.FamilyValues) earned the ire of the authorities for being ‘insensitive’ to a particular ethnic group here. It was initially banned, then released months later on the condition that certain edits were made. But the filmmaker isn’t one to take things lying down – he’s now back with his debut feature, Unlucky Plaza.

As the first Singaporean film to open SGIFF, Kwek’s black comedy tackles issues in modern Singapore such as xenophobia and immigration. Named after Lucky Plaza, the Orchard Road mall popular among Filipinos, the film revolves around a single Filipino father and owner of a dwindling diner who struggles to make ends meet.

The final straw comes when he finds himself cheated of his life savings. Out of desperation, he takes a group of people hostage in a mansion, and things get out of hand when the situation is captured on video. Look out for familiar faces like Adrian Pang, Pam Oei and Shane Mardjuki, as well as a possible reference to the infamous and anonymous local blogger Rockson Tan in the film.

Tell us about Unlucky Plaza.

It’s a hostage drama about a foreigner who kidnaps a bunch of locals and the tensions that arise. It’s a film about crime, greed and xenophobia – issues that are relevant today, not just in Singapore but in any urban society.

What were some of the challenges you faced in directing the film?

We staged a mock protest scene outside a mansion in Siglap. Some people in the area thought it was a real protest and called the cops. So the cops and the media showed up, and my producers had to hide me away. We waited until they explained everything to the cops and the fracas blew over before we continued shooting. That was probably the most interesting episode to share, where our filming was delayed by the police investigating a false crime – a non-crime.

Considering your earlier struggle with the censors, how do you feel about opening SGIFF?

To be honest, I’m pleased it’s being shown at all. I’m glad we didn’t run into any serious issues with censorship [it’s been classified M18 for coarse language]. As long as the censors stick to their decision, I’m cool with whatever it is. Ever since the last ban, you can spend a lot of time speculating what the next one will be like, but I don’t think it’s good filmmaking if you’re watching out for all of that. I want to tell my story and not worry about censorship. It’s the only way to make a film.

How did you go from screenwriter to director?

I never started out wanting to be a director, but after writing four features, I felt the itch to explore new aspects of the craft. Plus, I thought that directing would make me a better writer. It was more from a writing point of view. I directed Sex.Violence.FamilyValues as a test and an experiment, and I enjoyed it. The battle with the censors gave me a sense of the climate and the industry. That definitely prepared me, for better or worse. When I got to directing the feature itself, it was challenging – in a good way – but it wasn’t tough. It’s made me more aware of what a screenwriter needs to look out for when writing for the screen.

Shorts vs features – what are the differences?

Features are more pleasurable. The rhythm of constructing short films is irregular by nature of them being shorts, whereas for a feature, you have the entire story in your head. You’ve got to plan, and if you plan well, everything flows. It’s a bit like short films are going down rapids and features are like sailing on a bigger lake.