[Photo: John Low (above) plays a mild and middle-aged man, Zhiyuan, who snaps and murders his wife in Singapore film-maker Ho Tzu Nyen's film, Here.]

By YONG SHU HOONG

IT MAY not seem like a big deal to be selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, which is a showcase of feature films, documentaries and shorts from all over the world.

But the Fortnight has, in the past, granted early exposure to notable directors such as Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmush and Werner Herzog.

Following in the footsteps of Eric Khoo, Singapore film-maker and visual artist Ho Tzu Nyen was granted the honour to show his first feature-length film, Here, at the Directors' Fortnight last month.

Blending mockumentary with art-house sensibilities, Ho explores the thin line between insanity and real life, while addressing issues of fate, love and amor fati (a Latin term that loosely means "love of fate").

The film follows the life of mild, middle-aged Zhiyuan (played by John Low) who suddenly snaps and murders his wife.

Losing the will to speak after the trauma, he is sent to a secluded mental institution called Island Hospital, where he meets fellow patients from all walks of life - each with his or her own story to tell.

This is one of the most memorable features to have appeared recently on the local movie scene.

The fun is not only in watching the story unfold, but also how you interpret the hidden points (if any) that the film-maker is trying to put across.

Is "Island Hospital" a sly reference to a well-known country club? Is the mental asylum another way to portray a tightly-governed society?

Watch and opine, if you dare.

myp@sph.com.sg

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