Don’t know what your rebellious teenage kids have on their mind? Wonder if they would ever tell you? It’s safe to say that the answer would be no, but at least let Pangdemonium!’s latest baby, Spring Awakening, tell you about it.

Originally a play written by dramatist Frank Wedekind in 1892, and adapted from the original Broadway musical with the same title, Spring Awakening was said to be “daring in its depiction of teenage self-discovery”. It might not be the first to challenge the controversies of teenage adolescence, but it was considered “ultra-radical” in the 20^th century, leading to multiple bans since its release.

Providing a deeper insight into the road from adolescence to adulthood, and dipping into themes such as pre-marital sex, suicide, incest, child abuse, abortion,the audience is urged to buy into the show with caution. Infused with wit, much intelligence and effort is obviously placed into the daring production by husband and wife team Adrian and Tracie Pang.

With the rising numbers in teenage suicides due to academic pressure and teenage pregnancy in modern Singapore, Adrian personally warned parents in the play’s footnote to “listen, or else you’re f**ked”.

The musical is watched set in the late 19^th century, with fantastical sets to soften the harsh realities of the events presented in the plays. The men were clad in suits and the ladies were dressed conservatively, and the audience was reminded to switch off their electronic devices as “it’s 1892, electrical devices were not invented yet”. The exception is the awkward Moritz (Eden Ang), who sports a mohawk – a symbol of insecure teenage rebellion that adds a modern flair to a subdued world.

Headlining the musical is the winner of Teenage Icon 2005, singer Nathan Hartono, portraying the undaunted, charismatic and witty Melchior who sees the corrupted world, while entangled in a disputable teenage romance with Wendla (played by Broadway enthusiast and named one of Oprah’s “World’s Smartest and Most Talented Kids”, Julia Abueva).

Of course, how would teenage juvenescence be whole without the company of friends? Anna (Klaune Saunders), Martha (Rachel Marley), Ilse (Rebecca Spykerman) and Thea (Seong Hui Xian) makes up the giggly girls that nurse an infatuation for the handsome and intelligent Melchior. Best friend duo Melchior and Moritz are supported by their schoolmates-cum-amigos Ernst (Dwayne Tan), Georg (Erwin Shah), Otto (Raeza Ibrahim) and Hanschen (Rayve Tay) in song and dance.

It wouldn’t be a Pangdemonium! production without the trademark wit and skill of Adrian Pang, who takes on the role of The Adult Men, juggling personas of various fathers as well as the Teacher, akin to the actual Broadway show. With his experience in UK as a theatre actor who boasts works like Hair, A Midsummer Night’s Dream to The Comedy Of Errors, the actor-producer is no doubt a top-notch performer that brings life to every character he plays.

Candice De Rozario, who is no novice to the theatre, having portrayed multiple roles like Cinderella’s sinister stepsister in Into The Woods, plays the female counterpart to Adrian’s role as the mothers and Teacher. Having previously played the role of “Estelle” in Pangdemonium!’s first production The Full Monty, Candice brings a wild, eccentric energy to the stage (unsurprising if you know that she once co-fronted a death metal band from 2004 to 2007).

As the characters deal with puberty and come to terms with their sexuality, the initial carefree innocence of the childhood is brutally stripped away by their discovery of life’s trials and tribulations as new relationships are formed and old ones are ended.

While the production holds moments of wit and entertainment, don’t really expect a fairytale ending from a play that deals with such dark subject matter.

Spring Awakening is now showing at the Drama Centre Theatre, from 3 -26 February 2012. Get your tickets here.

Directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, Underworld Awakening begins with a narration by our vampire protagonist, Selene, telling of a ‘purge’ initiated by the humans to destroy all supernatural beings after attaining knowledge of external species, having labelled them as ‘infected’.

The action-horror film began with the vampires and wolfmen – better known as Lycans – battling it out with technologically advanced humans, differing from the past few wars in the series, where the battles are limited to the werewolves and Death Dealers.

Cryogenically frozen for 12 years by biotech corporation Antigen and kept as one of the infected subjects, Selene was thereafter rescued by young female ally Eve (India Eisley). The favour was soon returned as Selene stumbles on telepathic linkage with young Eve – similar to that with slain partner Michael Corvin (Sadly, a stand-in actor doubled for Scott Speedman who didn’t reprise his role this time) – and saves her from bloodthirsty Lycans circulating in a sewer-like drainage. The pair soon face greater danger when both Lycan and Corvinus clans take an interest in Eve’s mysterious abilities and origin. The substantial role of the villain is played by Dr Jacob Lane (Stephen Rea), the director of Antigen. Capturing Eve after a struggle and many lost comrades, he sets out to develop an antidote that could develop immunity against silver for the Lycans to make them stronger.

With the return of sexy vamp Kate Beckinsale as Death Dealer Selene after being absent in the previous movie, Rise of the Lycans, the 90-minute fourth installment to the Underworld series seems to have regained the series’ allure.

Clad in her iconic black bodysuit with thigh-high boots, Beckinsale’s poise and chic demeanour wins one over instantly when she appears on the big screen as she butchers one Lycan after another in a compellingly violent fashion.

Though Underworld: Awakening recaps its story quickly with significant flashbacks to the past installments, viewers without prior understanding of the previous 3 movies will find it difficult to follow onscreen events without a quick googling of the series, to be honest.

Sadly, despite the brutal conflicts between the humans and the ‘infected’, the movie failed to emphasize on the basis of the war at all, and the oppressive humans are kept to the sidelines. Unreasonable character deaths also result in a lot of questions by the end of the film, and the violence looked gratuitous and unrealistic. Fans might have hoped to see more gory details rather than animated and cartoonish-looking graphic headshots and seppuku-parallel disembowelment.

Granted, Underworld Awakening might not be the first vampire versus werewolf movie sequel, but the bloody and gory sequences – a far cry from the twee romance seen in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series – is a sure-win for fans of the genre, who would probably look forward to the next installment of vampire-werewolf discord.

Movie: Underworld Awakening
Rating: 3/5
Opens: Feb 2
Duration: 88 minutes
Language: English
Age Rating: M18
Genre: Action, Horror, Fantasy

Directed by: Mans Marlind, Bjorn Stein
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy

The full-moon and a light drizzle framed the festivities at Sentosa Singapore on Dec 10, as about 27,000 partygoers swarmed the Sapphire Pavilion anticipating a long night of revelry – probably via the pre-drinking party followed by, well, the official drinking party.

Bartenders decked in the official ZoukOut wear – a cyan blue T-shirt bearing the logo – bustled around towers of booze, ready for the thirsty crowd. Bacardi and Heineken were the official spirits of the night, alongside brands the likes of Raybans, Swatch, Ripcurl, and official sponsor, SingTel, were thronged with enthusiastic ravers. The only catch? Zouk’s beloved signature sausage stand was missing in action.

Back for its 11^th year, ZoukOut 2011 gave the Siloso Beach coastline a luminous psychedelic makeover. Sky balloons of different sizes hovered around, announcing the different sections of the festival at a distance. A $10 increase in ticket prices to $88 didn’t seem to deter the loyal Zouk-ers as a vast number of clubbers, almost half of which looked like out-of-towners, flocked to the dance music festival of the year.

Girls in a rainbow assortment of bikinis, cropped tops and beachwear, sported temporary tattoos that exhibited their support for the renowned DJs that graced the line-up. Likewise, their male counterparts were decked out in singlets and T-shirts – completely unnecessary as they were to come off anyway.

24-year-old DJ Ming, a newcomer to the festival, took the reins for the first set denoting nightfall at Arena B, the dance floor nearest the entrance, dropping drum and bass beats with his 3-deck addition techniques. Other resident DJs, Hong, Adrian Wee and Eclipse kicked off a night of house, trance, techno and hip-hop in each of the 3 segregated arenas with dance hits such as ‘Stereo Love’ and ‘Barbra Streisand’.

The first “live” act was Liverpool synthpop foursome Ladytron, minus keyboardist Mira Aroyo. Their debut in Singapore was, unfortunately, not held in much regard in the beginning but soon drew a crowd. Fadly, 21, who attended the party, said, “Ladytron’s music is an interesting choice for ZoukOut. It requires an acquired taste, but nonetheless, it’s really good.”

Of course, “really good” was not emphatic enough for fan Natasha Soh, who “came [to ZoukOut] especially for them”, and declared the set as simply “awesome”. Enthusiasts of the electro-pop band raved and partied for a good hour before Ladytron’s vocalist, Helen Marnie, bade goodbye to a contented crowd after performing hits such as ‘Mirage’, ‘White Gold’ and crowd pleaser ‘Seventeen’.

Somewhere else in the Localized arena, local DJs begun a mellower setlist. DJ Donn, Masterpiece and the virtuoso of Zouk’s early sounds, Jeremy Boon, mesmerized the small but avid group of dancers. Ladies’ Night charmer Mambo Jambo rocked the third arena for a good 4 hours, yet leaving the loud and riotous clubbers begging for more.

Sao Paolo techno heavyweight, Gui Boratto, put forth his distinct sounds through his genre, showcasing productions for his critically acclaimed album Chromophobia. UK maestro of deep house and club hits Simon Dunmore collaborated with percussionist Shovell from the same land and rocked their 2-hour set that bordered on midnight, when the party came to life.

As other international DJs Bob Sinclar, Roger Sanchez and Chuckie (who brought Wynton Gordon’s ‘Dirty Talk’ to life in his own rendition) took their turns in the scheduled line-up, 2 of the highly anticipated DJs were psyched up to greet the edgy danseurs – Swedish elite DJ Avichii, followed immediately by “World’s Most Popular DJ” Armin Van Buuren in the schedule.

The slightly weary but still pumped up ticket holders mobbed Arena A, and some groupies of the respective DJs have already been loitering around the sector. As the attractive 24-year-old Swedish DJ who had begun his journey into electronic sensation at a young 18 stepped up to the consoles, screams of elation got the mosh-pit feverish with exhilaration.

Kicking off with phenomenal hit ‘Fade Into Darkness’, he made the intoxicated crowd even more rapturous than they already were. Alesso remixes of ‘Pressure’ and ‘Titanium’ were mashed with tunes of ‘Seek Bromance’ and ‘Calling’, all these while never stopping for a breather either for the crowd or himself. ‘The Drowning’ signified an end to his set but this was easily forgotten by the beatific assembly that saw the impending appearance of Nederland’s pride and joy, DJ Armin Van Buuren at the wee hours of the coming sunrise. Joining DJ Mag’s #1 spot in the prestigious Top 100 Poll for 4 years were 2 names the masses would never forget – DJ Chuckie and Avichii. Of course, the intro by 3 of the world’s leading DJs was so mind-blowing that some of the ladies – and even men – were driven to tears. We aren’t kidding.

Student Alcinda Lee, 19, professed her love for Armin’s ‘Desiderium (207)’ and sighed that, “it was a ticket well spent”.

22-year-old Australian party animal Brandon Aprile’s first time at ZoukOut was deemed well worth the trip as he pledges his loyalty to the 8-time winner of the Best Nightspot Experience in the Singapore Experience Awards.

Photos courtesy of ZoukOut 2011 Singapore.

As the crowd slowly eased out at sunup, Resident DJ Aldrin ended off the night alongside with Kohesive Production’s founder Karizma, spinning hits of hip hop as the sun ascended the coastline of Siloso Beach. As predicted, ZoukOut 2011 ended on a great note, celebrating their soiree spirit of ‘One World, One Music, One Tribe, One Dance’.

As the king of trance, Armin Van Buuren, himself said, “It doesn’t get bigger than this.”

It’s party night on a weekend and the array of boîtes along Clarke Quay beckons, offering party-goers a diversity of alcohol – German beers, bubbly spirits, simple house pours, and of course everyone’s favourite shooters.

Whatever reservations you have will probably be silenced after stepping into The Chupitos Bar (Spanish for ‘little drinks’), probably because it’s hard to imagine leaving without trying almost all of their delish shooters. To call that an Olympian challenge would be an understatement as the bar in Clarke Quay prides itself for being the only one in this country to offer over 130 different shots. Did someone say spoiled for choice?

Nested between Mulligan’s and Borgata, it offers indoor and outdoor seating, with tables decked in decals with “Snakes, Shots and Ladders” imprinted on them – an open challenge for patrons to try out the bar’s innovative drinking games.

Snakes, Shots and Ladders, anyone?

Slim shot glasses adorn the walls of the bar and a psychedelic patchwork of liquor bottles doubles as décor, with muted lights enhancing the cosy ambience of the lounge-like indoor seating and unleashing a little of their ‘wild’ side with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and wall graffiti.

On the other side of the bar hangs a “Wall Of Fame”, saluting patrons who have successfully chalked up 100 shots in a month, and hence bragging rights! For those who try but fail, well, there’s a reason why owner Jamie Koh, otherwise known as Chief Hot Shot, implements a $30 ‘puke fine’ at the bar’s designated turf.

Standard categorized shots for $12 a pop (left) and Specialty as well as Drop Shots (right).

Brilliantly categorized into 4 sections, namely “Dare”, “Deadly”, “Yummy” and “Fruity”, shots are reasonably priced at $12 each unless otherwise stated.

Keep a lookout for their collection of Absinthe, a super potent (45%-75%) anise-flavoured spirit that’s incorporated in some of their more lethal shots.

Singapore-inspired paired shots such as Milo Godzilla, Pandan Cake and Bandung prove the most popular among locals, according to Jamie, offering an inventive take on familiar flavours.

The menu also offers 30 staggering varieties of Drop Shots ($15), which range from the classic fight-inducing Jagerbomb to more intriguing flavours such as the Flaming Dr. Pepper, Absinthe Bomb, Satan’s Water etc.

The Little Man Fat Boy is an equivalent of 3 Jagerbombs in one.

For the more adventurous drinkers, their Specialty Shots are a must-try. Featuring a blend of different alcoholic spirits, The Little Man Fat Boy ($38) is probably the most fun you can have with a science experiment, throwing together 3 Drop Shots in a jug, and the Gas Chamber ($22) set-up will blow your mind with a different way of consuming alcohol – You’ll have to try it for yourself.

You’ll be pleasantly amazed at the novelty and smoothness of some of their sui generis shooters.

Paddle Pop ($12 per pair)

Paddle Pop in pastel green (left) and Cotton Candy (right).

This fascinating combination of liquor that comes in a rainbow of pastel colours – so it looks even better if you order a tray – is reminiscent of the colourful popsicle it’s named after, many a child’s favourite treat. The distinct caramel taste lingers after downing one and it’s easy on the throat.

Cotton Candy (“Yummy” $12 per shot)

Definitely more popular among the ladies, the baby pink concoction of butterscotch, cream and grenadine goodness tastes exactly like the sweet treat one can find at carnivals or the pasar malam [Malay for night market]. The candied drink leaves a smooth and lip-smacking butterscotch aftertaste and is considerably mild – Good news for lightweights.

Milo Godzilla ($12 per pair)

A chocolate-y wonder, Milo Godzilla (left) and the ‘Deadly’ Girl Scout (right)

Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and Milo powder generously sprinkled over, the chocolate-y blend is a must-try if you’re already a fan of the original drink that is found in most prata places. It’s essentially Milo, but better.

Warning: Not suitable for breakfast along with your kaya (coconut jam) toast.

Girl Scout (“Deadly” $15 per shot)

If you’re keen on plunging deeper into the abyss of intoxication, give the Girl Scout a shot (pardon the pun).

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly innocent name, for the Girl Scout packs a powerful punch. It’s made out of 3 layers of pure liquor – Absinthe Green Fairy, followed by Bailey’s Irish Cream and finishing with Crème de Cassis, which gives it a creamy blackcurrant zest when knocked back.

Roasting a marshmallow over an open flame, definitely a Girl Scout thing.

Fortunately, the alcohol aftertaste is neutralised with a marshmallow roasted over flame, mimicking a miniature campfire, by the lovely staff.

Baconator (“Daring” $12 per shot)

The Baconator, breakfast of the champions.

Made by infusing bacon (after straining the oil) in Maker’s Mark Bourbon for weeks, it’s a shot that’s a lot more straight-up than the rest. The smoky aroma of the bacon was distinct and stronger than expected. Surprising but nonetheless a hit with meat lovers out there!

Condom (‘Daring’ $15 per shot)

Brace yourself for the Condom

Photos courtesy of Jean Goh and The Chupitos Bar.

We all love the fact that shots are conveniently chugged, but bear in mind that this milky tequila rose shot comes with a heads-up that might get messy.

That’s all we’re willing to reveal, unless you buy us another round of shots.

Address: 3C River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, #01-02
Telephone: +65 6333 5735
Opening hours:

• Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun: 6:30 pm – 1:30 am
• Other days: 6:30 pm – 3:30 am

Rating: ★★★★✩
Price rating: $$-$$$
Note:

• Prices listed subject to service charge and GST.
• For more information, check out their official website.

Ice cream lovers are probably the kind who duck into the cold comfort of blazing air-conditioners, rather than brave 20-minute waits in the sweltering heat in queues. But the 50 or so standing in line for Cold Stone Creamery do so willingly.

This is the first store of this American franchise to open in Singapore and it entices you with whiffs of freshly made waffles, creamy wonders and delightful crushed toppings such as Graham crackers, peanut butter cups and apple pie filling.

Others may be drawn by the server, who occasionally bursts into a quick song; a trademark of the franchise. That explains why the sign at the end of the queue at level 1 of Orchard Central (OC) reads “The fun begins here”.

Outside, one can see the creamer whipping out tins of rich vanilla ice cream, and Cold Stone promises fresh batches daily. Apart from Cotton Candy and Cheesecake, most of the ice cream are traditional flavours. With 18 – 20 of them, you could spend several minutes deciding what to pick.

Known in America for being a fun premium ice cream parlor, it has the capacity to seat up to 52 customers at one time.

Not only is the concept of being able to “make your own ice cream” fun, LeRoy Chan, PR Consultant from FoodNews tells UrbanWire that any customer who walks in can request to play game of toss-and-catch, where they try to catch their own ice cream.

If you miss, you get a second chance, and Cold Stone won’t charge you extra. Don’t worry, you still get to eat your ice cream.

Here’s a typical day at Cold Stone Creamery:

Cold Stone actually isn’t the first creamery adopting the mix-in approach. However, they have a long heritage of 23 years from America, and now boasts more than 1,500 outlets in the world. LeRoy also explains that at Cold Stone, they don’t use low-fat ingredients simply because they pride themselves on being a company that focuses on taste. While your waistline won’t thank you for their ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies and cakes, your taste buds certainly will.

Signature creations such as Banana Caramel Crunch, Cookie Mintster, Mud Pie Mojo go for only $5.50 for the ‘Like It’ size of their smallest 4 oz serving. Add $1 if you fancy a freshly made waffle bowl and top another 50 cents for the chocolate-dipped one. Signature shakes are available in 1 size only at $8.50 (Warning: this is rich and filling enough to replace lunch). Pricing is considerably reasonable for the ice cream and entertainment is a delight.

With that said, UrbanWire led the charge on a sugary journey of ice cream, wafers, and milkshakes. Here are our top 5 picks:

Signature Creations all $5.50 per serving.

1. Founder’s Favourite

One of the flavours most in demand, this creation is a classic combination of Sweet Cream Ice Cream with toppings such as pecans, fudge and caramel that appeal to the young and young at heart.

Our favourite part of this velvety sensation? The chewy brownie bits that are evenly distributed in the entire cup. Flavours are rich yet not too overpowering and it’s definitely worth giving a try if you are a fan of the classic chocolate/vanilla palate.

Much thought was put into this creation as the amount of caramel and fudge added into the ice cream is perfect – neither too sweet not too insubtantial. Word has it that Cold Stone creators remain particular about the quality and variety of ingredients and amount (although not to the clinical precision of weighing each addition) added to each cup sold to customers.

It’s no wonder that every cup of Founder’s Favourite remains consistent and it is also one of the 3 favorites in their menu.

Also try: Chocolate Devotion and Strawberry Banana Rendezvous. These 2 other flavours complete the top 3 products in their signature menu.

2. Apple Pie A La Cold Stone

One of the more unique creations recommended to us, this cup of rich cinnamon dessert took me by surprise.

With an uncanny resemblance to a timeless apple pie (thus the name), it was a balance between a smooth and crunchy mix of Graham cracker pie crust, apple pie filling, caramel and, of course, cinnamon. With a French vanilla ice cream as base, the toppings complement the delish creamy ice cream and leave a mild aromatic aftertaste.

The texture was also delectable as everything was unexpectedly well blended, something seemingly hard to achieve considering the different types of toppings used.

Most people would assume apple pie would overpower the ice cream and you would be very “gelat”  (Malay expression to denote extreme weariness and irritation at repetition), but we beg to differ.

3. Cheesecake Fantasy

The only signature creation that uses a cheesecake ice cream base, it caught my attention immediately with the list of toppings used. Following classic adaptation of a real cheesecake, Graham cracker piecrust, blueberries and strawberries make up this fantasy that has strands of the classic dessert’s DNA.

The smooth whipped ice cream had a slight tinge of cream cheese, paired with bits of Graham crackers, making it blissful to devour. 5 stars to the creators for coming up with such a heavenly combination!

It’s one of our picks simply because we love the way it tastes so fresh and light, yet ironically is rich and filling.

Signature Shakes

1. PB&C

Before we dive in to rave about this particular shake, we should put out a warning to all our readers: Strictly for peanut butter and chocolate lovers.

The PB&C caught us by surprise with its intense taste of peanut butter and chocolate-y aftertaste, thus the heads-up. One of the quirkiest flavours available, and really similar to drinking liquid peanut butter, I’d say that only true fanatics would develop an unhealthy obsession with it.

Prepare to forgo your lunch or dinner after this shake, with only 1 size (close to a McDonald’s regular cup), we recommend sharing it with a friend.

2. Cream de Menthe

Last but not least, this awesome minty cup won our vote instantly with a pleasant fusion of mint ice cream with chocolate shavings. What we loved most about it is the natural mint flavour, unlike the garden-variety mint ice cream found in supermarkets, which tastes artificial most of the time.

Cold Stone Creamery is located at Orchard Central #01-09/10, 181 Orchard Road. Opening hours: 11 am – 11 pm.

The Israeli Film Festival (IFF), one of the longest running film festivals in Singapore, has come of age.
In its 19th edition, the IFF once again showcases Israel’s unique culture and flair for creativity through stunning cinematography and original storylines in 7 award-winning films of 7 different genres.
It is evident the organisers had carefully selected the films based on issues such as family, youth and growing up that will resonate with residents and locals despite being a foreign film festival.

Audiences, especially younger ones, can definitely identity with the universal themes such as the coming-of-age storylines. From the lead character’s struggle to be a man at his upcoming bar mitzvah in the opening film The Flood to 16-year-old Shlomi taking care of his dysfunctional family in Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi, the films tackle issues relevant to a trying and familiar phase we have all been through – the pains and joys of growing up as a teenager.
Award-winning directors’ works featured in this year’s festival are namely The Flood, The Human Resources Manager, Ajami, Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi, The Matchmaker, Lost Islands and Walk On Water. Urbanwire checks out the must-watch in this year’s festival.

The Flood
Opening this year’s festival is this award-winning director Guy Nattiv’s The Flood. Following Tolstoy’s famous claim that “unhappy families are each uniquely unhappy—and, by extension, uniquely compelling”, this film proves his theory right via a storyline of a dysfunctional family, complete with brilliant directing, cast and screenwriting which brings humanity and depth.
Winning a Crystal Bear-Special Mention at the 2011 Berlin International Film festival, as well as a total of 6 nominations at the Israel Academy Awards, The Flood tells of a story about 13-year-old Yoni and his family, with him struggling to quickly build up his physique as a man for his upcoming Bat-Mitzvah.
The story becomes interesting when Tomer, the older and autistic son, has to be brought home after the institute in which he’s been living in shuts down, destroying the balance of their ordinary lives. Having not seen his brother for 10 years and having to deal with him, much is brought up such as past mistakes and painful truths.
Nominated for Best Actor, Actress, Best Picture, and Best Sound at 2010 Israeli Film Academy Awards. Won Best Supporting Actor at 2010 Israeli Film Academy Awards. Won Crystal Bear-Special Mention at 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.

The Human Resources Manager
A black comedy not often experienced by our locals, The Human Resources Manager is filled with much wry humor, partnered with compassion. Revolving around a HR manager for a big bakery in Jerusalem, who constantly puts his career first and is prone to breaking promises to his daughter.
The story develops as he receives news about a female employee who had passed away in a terrorist bombing, and the owner of the bakery orders him to accompany the body back to a Balkan country to her relatives.
The characters of the main protagonist unravel as each personality reveals to be complex when forced to interact with one another. With the characters not having any names to symbolize the simplicity of their jobs in the bakery, the film is a tragically hilarious, touching the hearts of many.
Won Best Director, Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actress at 2010 Israeli Film Academy Awards.
Ajami
Shot entirely on a hand-held digital video camera, Ajami is a crime drama set in a neighbourhood that comprises of a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views amongst religion, namely Jews, Muslims and Christians.
13-year-old Nasri and his older brother Omar live in feat after their foolish uncle puts the entire family in danger after wounding a prominent clan member. Young Malek works an illegal job in Israel to save his mother’s life with the money earned. Religious views are challenged when Palestinian Binj dreams of a bright future with his Jewish girlfriend. Jewish policeman Dando wants revenge when his brother is found dead in the West Bank.
With impeccable timing and plotting and amateur actors – that worked well with the subject matter and film imagery, the film showcases the spirit of the community in Jaffa and tolerance of the Arab-Jewish relations in a Jewish state.
Palestinian Scandar Copti and Israeli Yaron Shani’s collaboration examines how the troubled relationship between their countries is the norm in the Middle East.
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at 2010 Oscar Academy Award.
Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi
Having seen the film at a limited screening several years ago, the film turns out to be a nice surprise that this writer fondly remembers of. The film centres on 16-year-old Shlomi who takes care of everyone in his dysfunctional family from an ill grandfather to a quick-tempered mother. Amidst the chaos and attention on everyone but himself, a neglected Shlomi finally learns to find, love and believe in himself through an unexpected discovery of his talent in Math and of course, a passion and love for a girl.

Effortlessly charming and sweet, the film is a coming-of-age tale meant for every teenager, adolescent or even a young adult who can understand and embrace the importance of (re)discovering the Self before loving the Other. – Ronald Wan

Won Best Film Audience Award at the 2005 San Diego Jewish Film Festival and Best Director Award for FIPRESCI Prize.