Singapore, 2021, 77′
Royston Tan
James Choong
Two men are passionately engaging in a sexual romp in a bedroom, when a sound engineer suddenly appears, unnoticed. He is in the process of capturing sounds for a very specific collection. Amid the still days and clear nights he finds many sounds that interest and stimulate him, from grasshoppers and wind in the forest, to traffic and voices in the city. Although each of the twenty-four locations he visits is distinct from the others, they do share one thing: in most, there are people working, singing, speaking. The traces of civilization that express emotions ranging from joy and excitement to sadness and regret blend together the worlds of living things and of inanimate objects. Why is he compiling this collection of sounds? Even without him, people would continue living today not so differently from yesterday. However, his actions document a small fragment of life in the thousands years of civilization. On the other hand, our present day is the sum of the gifted legacy of many of these unnamed contributors of the past. (PARK Sungho)
24 is Royston Tan’s fourth film to be presented at the Across Asia Film Festival, following 3688, 4:30 and the collective film 7 Letters.
One of Singapore’s most prolific directors, Royston Tan is known for his feature films, such as 15 (2003), 4:30 (2006), 881 (2007), 12 Lotus (2008) and 3688 (2015); and collecting over 80 international and local film awards for his works, which include short films. Royston was conferred ASEAN Director of the Year in 2001, and named Young Artist of the Year by the National Arts Council in 2002. He was also named among the “Top 20 Asian Heroes” by TIME Magazine in 2004. He founded his production company Chuan Pictures in 2009.