50 years ago, Singapore and Malaysia divorced after a brief marriage of two years. But, doomed lovers that we are, we just can’t stay away from each other, no matter how often we squabble over water, airspace and food. We toil in each other’s cities, relax on each other’s islands and get fined on each other’s roads. We laugh at each other’s laws but envy each other’s liberties; separated by history, we are united by our dreams for a better home.
Directed by Singapore’s Ivan Heng and Malaysia’s Jo Kukathas, Another Country takes us on a trip through our shared memories and divergent dreams with the most provocative, humorous and unlikely texts, curated by Singaporean playwright Alfian Sa’at and Malaysian playwright Leow Puay Tin.
From Singapore, we have texts taken from a Catherine Lim short story, a Michael Chiang play, the Singapore Ministry of Culture’s anthem to our glorious but short-lived union in 1963 and more, all to be delivered by a cast of Malaysia’s most acclaimed actors.
Meanwhile, five of Singapore’s finest actors boldly tackle the Malaysian texts, which include excerpts from a Jit Murad play, Mark Teh’s salutation and Tunku Abdul Rahman’s recounting of his dream before the race riots of 13 May 1969.
Will we find more similarities, or more things to squabble over? Will we recognise our homes in each other’s stories? To whom do these stories belong? And, most important of all… to whom does Hainanese chicken rice really belong?
