881 (Musical Comedy / Completed)

LITTLE PAPAYA and BIG PAPAYA dream of escaping the dreariness of their everyday lives and becoming stars of the glittering, flamboyant and uniquely Singaporean musical showcase known as Getai.

Starting out the sisters struggle to make a mark, but determined to succeed they appeal to the magical Goddess of Getai who grants their wish but warns them of the price. Their success binds them to obey the rules of Getai and one rule forbids them from ever loving any man.

Blessed by the Goddess, the Papaya Sisters rise to stardom, all the while battling heartbreaking personal tragedies. Meanwhile their success infuriates their bitter, unscrupulous rivals the DURIAN SISTERS who use every underhanded means at their disposal to undermine their career. When the Durian Sister's dastardly tactics fail, they throw down the gauntlet and force the Papaya Sisters to accept a challenge, an all singing all dancing face off with the loser leaving the Getai scene for good.

Singapore's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 2008 Academy Awards and a local, record breaking box office sensation, 881 is a magical, heart wrenching, singing and dancing extravaganza from director Royston Tan, the winner of over fifty international and local awards and hotly touted as one of Asia's most promising breakout talents.

Writer / Director: Royston Tan

Producers: Gary Goh

Production Company: Zhao Wei Films

- Official Selection, Sturm Und Drang

Pusan International Film Festival (2007):

- Official Selection, Gala Presentation

"If ABBA could sing in Hokkien (Fujian dialect), they might have auditioned for Royston Tan's 881. So exuberant is his re-creation of the campy and uniquely Singaporean art form of getai that he has revived its popularity and got local nonmoviegoers filing into multiplexes in droves. An anything-goes vaudeville performed in Hokkien around public housing estates to entertain vacationing spirits (and bored humans) during the monthlong Festival of Hungry Ghosts, getai provides the colorful setting for a flamboyant and feel-good tale of female friendship and rivalry..."

"881 is not mere self-conscious parody, but Tan's heartfelt love song to a nostalgic folk culture with roots all over Asia. Most of the songs are originally composed by Chen Jin Lang, a Singapore getai songwriting legend who died in 2006.

However, each frame in 881 is a carnival of untamed colors and textures. Watching it is like having to eat all 31 flavors of Baskin-Robbins in one sitting. He also substitutes credible characterization and authentic depiction of offstage lives of getai veterans for broad strokes of caricature and tear-jerking hospital scenes. Still, if you see it in the same mood as watching a Bollywood musical, this is a hugely enjoyable experience..."

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