Threshold 人质 (2009)

 

TITLE: THRESHOLD 人质

Country of Production: SINGAPORE
Date of Completion: April 2009
Duration: 20 minutes 15 seconds
Language: English (Singaporean Colloquial) / Mandarin Dialect
Subtitles: English
Shooting Format: HDV (uncompressed) / 16mm
 

CREW:

Director and Screenwriter: Loo Zihan
Production Manager: Elgin Ho Tat Chuen
1st Assistant Director: Koo Chia Meng
2nd Assistant Director: Lee Ke Xin

Director of Photography: Lim Teck Siang
Camera Assistant: Lawrence Toh
Gaffer: Eljin Tan

Production Designer: Annette Heitmann
Production Design Advisor: Daniel Lim

Music Composer: Lim Yi Benjamin
String Quartet: Oxley String Quartet 

Sound Designer: Matthew Koh
Sound Editor: Lim Ting Li 

Stills and Publicity Photographer: Mintio
Still Photographer: Lin Weidong
Graphic Designer: Ash Lim

CAST:

Justin Kan Rui Liang
Raymond Yong
with ‘OMEGA’ voiced by Lim Yu-Beng 
 

 Trailer:

 

Synopsis:

In a dingy motel room that is as hot and clammy as the jungle painted on its walls, a sexual threesome has been arranged to take place. Except that the two men lying in wait are officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau, ready to apprehend their suspect, who is going to show up with crystal meth at any moment.

Staff Sergeant Boon is garrulous and relaxed; for him, this is a job just like any other. Inspector Anton, on the other hand, is preoccupied and tense, and is increasingly restless. As the wait for the suspect lengthens, it is apparent Anton has something infinitely more personal at stake.

In what appears to be a routine crackdown operation, which walls will come tumbling down, and what thresholds will be crossed? In the film’s tropical swelter, how does one ascertain that everything one sees is not a mirage from a fragmenting mind?

Threshold is an independently funded film and production is made possible with support from Fridae.com and generous contributions from the following individuals:

Rabil Lian
Leo Caballes
Paul Biindeepcloset
Lucy Davis
Mr. and Mrs Patrick Storey
Tay Wee Cheng

Stills:

 

 

Production Notes:

Why the choice to build the set and shoot in the studio?

It was very clear from the beginning that this entire film was going to take place within a hotel room, and that this room had to have a very specific and distinct look. This hotel room had to be the fourth character in the film.

The initial drafts of the script specified that the camera pulls out to reveal the set. This is in line with the themes and ideas I was exploring in the script, which centers around the idea of ‘verisimilitude’.

We realized that both logistically and artistically, it would benefit the film to film on a soundstage. It allows us to construct this room from scratch, and tailor it to our specifications. As this is a dialogue and performance heavy piece, it also meant that the actors had more time to work and rehearse within the actual space itself.

 

How is this production different from how you make film previously? What did you learn from the process? How deliberate do you prepare this production, in terms of storyboards, etc?

This production marks many firsts for me. It is the first time I am taking on so many roles in a single production, from directing to screenwriting to editing and producing. It was also the first time I am working with a team and budget of such a scale – quite a substantial amount for a short film.

Rallying for sponsorship was the most difficult aspect, convincing people and yourself that this film is worth investing in can be quite disheartening at times. I’m grateful for all my sponsors and donors who believed in the vision and gave generously, allowing this film to be made.

Every shot was deliberated and storyboarded and there was nothing that was not mediated. In this particular instance, I felt the rigidity of the workflow helped the film, given the nature of it’s content and the themes I was exploring. It was good to experience this process and recognize the potential trappings of it for future projects.

 

Why the forest scenes? ‘Solos’, your first feature film, also has a forest sequence. What does the forest hold for you?

On a cerebral level, it is not just what the forest holds but what Nature holds, and in Threshold what Nature vs. the Construct holds. The motif / element of Nature has always been present in all my films. With every film, my understanding and relationship with Nature / Construct is constantly questioned and evolving.

On a personal emotional level, the jungle has always been quite sublime. At this point in time, in very simplistic terms, I believe the jungle is a space for introspection. It is something I will continue to explore and develop in future works.