Salawati

Name of Film: Salawati

Screening: Fri. July 23 at 5:00pm

Name and Position of Filmmakers:
Marc X Grigoroff, writer/director

Total Runtime: 80 mins

Genre: Drama

Synopsis:
“Salawati” is the story of a 12-year-old Singaporean-Malay girl
who has just witnessed the drowning of her brother. Wati, who cannot
swim, begs a man to help, but he ignores her pleas. Her mother tries
to hold the family together, while her father struggles to control his
grief and misdirected anger – even as he seeks refuge in Islam.
Wati’s story is intertwined with those of a hard-drinking Indian
courier and a Chinese man consumed by career goals. It becomes
increasingly clear that each of these men played a role in the death
of her brother, and as Wati begins to follow them, the mystery
deepens. Finally, a haunting sequence illuminates the events
surrounding her brother’s death, and Wati is left with a choice that
will change the lives of everyone. “Salawati” explores the fragile
nature of human relationships and calls into question our notions of
morality, mercy, revenge and forgiveness.

Country of Production:
Singapore

Country of Filming:
Singapore

Date of Completion:
06/14/2008

Other Festivals:
Seattle Film Festival 2008, International Film Festival of India 2008,
Pune Film Festival (India) 2008, Asian Hot Shots Berlin Film Festival
2009, Gotham Screen Film Festival 2009, Taipei International Film
Festival 2010

Awards:
Best Feature, Asian Hot Shots Film Festival 2009; Best Feature & Best
Actress, Gotham Screen Film Festival 2009

Premiere Status:
Florida premiere

Is there profanity, nudity, violence, gore, etc?
If so, please explain in detail and give your opinion of an acceptable age limit.
A few words of profanity; an angry driver shouts "motherf*cker" in
Chinese, and this is subtitled; in another scene a man recounts an
incident where he told a taxi driver to "kiss my black ass", then
repeats it for emphasis. I guess anyone over 12 ought to be able to
see the film; or anyone who's been standing next to someone who
smashes his finger with a hammer.

Message:
Singapore is a small island, about the size of Chicago, yet it is home
to myriad cultures, religions and languages. How these disparate
groups co-exist, while struggling to understand one another, has
fascinated since I arrived here 12 years ago. Salawati is an
expression of that fascination.