SYNOPSIS
Singapore, in the late 1960s — the newly independent country is still grappling with its identity. In a dark room, a woman is trapped, being interrogated by a man. Through the course of one long night, identities and duration start to blur. Ghosts from the future haunt their conversation, telling of a bizarre tombstone trial that speaks to the state’s nascent political and legal landscape.
REVIEW
Small Hours of the Night is a genre-defying work by Daniel Hui, an emerging talent in Singaporean cinema renowned for his unique perspectives on the interplay between art and violence, and the nature of filmmaking itself. This hybrid film ingeniously melds elements of political documentary, psychological thriller, and courtroom drama. The narrative springboard is the grave marker trial of Tan Chay Wa, convicted for erecting a tombstone for his brother who was executed in early 1980s Malaysia on charges of anti-government activities. Hui skillfully weaves narratives extracted from various legal records, unveiling the political dynamics and underlying paranoia within Singapore's stringent judicial system. In this work, form and style transcend mere narrative vehicles to become intrinsic embodiments of content and theme. Despite opening with the caption "Sometime in the late 1960s...," the film's stark black-and-white cinematography—characterized by high contrast and minimalist settings—coupled with strategic use of close-ups, blurs any distinct sense of time and place. The two central characters are equally enigmatic. Set in a sparse room, a man and a woman engage in dialogue framed as an interrogation, yet their identities continuously shift, accentuating a sense of ambiguity and fragmentation. Within this Kafkaesque narrative, which appears to induce a state of delirium, what ultimately persists is an intense, claustrophobic experience of the absurdity and brutality of state power.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Small Hours of the Night is a film about small incidents and minor historical characters who shape history and society. With two characters, one room, and real-time events, the film emphasizes small details and the dynamics of a single place, evoking sleepless nights when thoughts race. It explores how society is shaped by law, inspired by the 1983 Tan Chay Wa tombstone trial, highlighting harsh punishments, suppression of opposition, and pervasive censorship in Singapore.
