Wonderland
Wonderland is a family drama about how a “white lie” spirals into a full-blown deception that brings two men together in an unlikely friendship.
To pay for his daughter Eileen’s education abroad, Loke sells his family home and moves into a tiny one bedroom rental. There, he meets Tan, his neighbour who helps him write his letters to Eileen, and read her letters to him. Meanwhile, Tan finds comfort in Loke’s dedication to his daughter, as he yearns for a reconciliation with his estranged daughter.
Tragedy strikes as Eileen is killed in an accident whilst studying in the US. Tan happens to be the one who takes the call and receives the bad news. In an attempt to spare his newfound friend the immense grief, Tan, in a spur of a moment, decides to withhold the truth from Loke and is hoping to find the right time to break the tragic news.
The lie spirals out of control as Tan pulls in other residents to help him perpetrate the lie - faking letters, photographs and even voice/cassette recordings. One day, Loke passes out and the doctor diagnoses that he has stage 4 cancer and has only weeks left to live. This stuns Tan and puts him in an impossible situation as he agonises over whether truth or mercy should prevail.
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Yee Wei ChaiDirectorThat Girl in Pinafore
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Michelle ChangWriter
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Chance WanlassWriter
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Allan HoWriter
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Michelle ChangProducerSeven Days
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Choong Kai ChiaProducer
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Mark LeeKey Cast"Loke"Number 1, Geylang, Money No Enough 2
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Peter YuKey Cast"Tan"A Land Imagined
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Project Title (Original Language):樂園
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Project Type:Feature
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Genres:Drama
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Runtime:2 hours 5 minutes
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Completion Date:April 10, 2023
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Country of Origin:Singapore
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Country of Filming:Malaysia, Singapore, United States
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Language:Mandarin Chinese
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Shooting Format:Digital, ARRI
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Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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San Diego Asian Fllm FestivalSan Diego
November 10, 2023
World
Audience Award -
Singapore International Film FestivalSingapore
Singapore
December 4, 2023
Asean Premiere -
Palm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs
United States
January 6, 2024
Local Jury Award Winner
Chai Yee Wei, (born June 21, 1976) Grand Prix winner of Short Shorts, an Academy Accredited Festival, with his short film "Benjamin's Last Day at Katong Swimming Complex”(2018), has a career as diverse as his interests. He has co-written/ produced/directed several feature films and high budget series across various genres ranging from rom-com (“Venus on Mars”, “That Girl In Pinafore”) to horror (“Blood Ties, Twisted”).
"Wonderland" is his 5th feature length film and also his first feature in 10 years. This film is inspired by true events.
The inspiration for the story came when I just graduated from college than 20 years ago in the United States. The tragic news of fellow alum being killed in a car accident shocked me greatly and it has always stuck with me. The story of Wonderland explores the pursuit of the American dream from the perspective of a Singaporean parent who sent his child for further studies in the land of the free. As a father today of a wonderful young girl, this film allows me to explore my hopes, dreams and fears of my daughter’s future.