by Tobiasz Dunin
“Sunday” is Sean Ng's full-length directorial debut, which premiered at the Singapore International Film Festival. It was developed with the assistance of TorinoFilmLab and was backed by the Singapore Film Commission. Earlier, he directed two short films: “Sepuloh” in 2012 and “A Golden Mile” in 2019. Sean Ng is also a co-founder of a video agency named AMOK. His commercial works gained recognition at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Spikes Asia Awards.
Sunday screened at Singapore International Film Festival
This romantic drama focuses on the relationship between two young immigrants working in Singapore – Lily (Rhen Escaño), a Filipino housemaid employed by a middle-aged couple (Adrian Pang and Michelle Saram), and Minh (Ho Thanh Trung), a Vietnamese busboy working for his aunt. The movie provides not only a picture of socio-economic disproportion between different social classes in Singapore, but also underlines the universal desire for human connection.
The director chose to depict the themes of the film from a very personal perspective through the two main characters, and the most powerful scenes revolve around the intimacy between them. However, the topic of the relationship emerges right from the beginning, depriving the viewers of the opportunity to get to know the characters; their daily lives, desires, or why they are in Singapore in the first place. This may leave the audience with a number of questions – the most important one concerning the reason the relationship between them is forbidden. It seems like a crucial aspect of the story, yet it is not directly addressed nor explained in the film. Viewers familiar with local culture might understand it, but for others it may not be so obvious.
Both leading actors portray their characters very well, although the film doesn't delve deeply into their backgrounds. Instead, the focus is on the situation they find themselves in and the specific challenges they must overcome, like hiding their relationship from the Lees, or doubts about how much money to send back home. However, it is worth emphasizing that both main characters, despite sharing immigrant status, have significant differences – Lily is more thoughtful and responsible, while Minh is more prone to taking risks. This allows for avoiding stereotyping and inaccurate generalization of the immigrant image.
The movie is shot by Sean Ng and Eric Wk Ng in a very consistent style, maintaining a high level of visual appeal throughout. The skillful use of camera angles, lighting, and composition enhances the overall clean and simple aesthetic, contributing to a visually pleasing experience. Furthermore, the music is well-used and effectively emphasizes the emotions in various scenes.
At 94 minutes, the picture is relatively short, and it feels like the director wanted to deliver a more profound message than the movie ultimately provides. Several topics are touched upon quite briefly, such as the family background of the characters and their motivations for wanting a child. A more extensive exploration of these themes would benefit the film, making it more comprehensive.
Despite its flaws, “Sunday” is a solid piece of socially engaged cinema that is firmly grounded in contemporary Singaporean reality, yet it manages to convey a universally relevant message that will resonate with a broad audience.
