Snow in Midsummer (film)

Snow in Midsummer is a 2023  historical drama film directed by Chong Keat Aun. A Malaysian, Singaporean and Taiwanese co-production, the film has been selected for the Giornate degli Autori International Competition, a parallel section of the Venice International Film Festival, where it had its global premiere. Snow in Midsummer leads the race for this year’s Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan with nine nominations, including best narrative feature, best director and best supporting actress. The film was named Best Film (Chinese Language) in the Young Cinema Competition at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Premise
Snow in Midsummer is set in Kuala Lumpur at two different periods of time: first on May 13, 1969, and then, on May 13, 2018; it revolves around Ah Eng, a young woman, and her mother who lose contact with the father and brother of the first amid political riots, in the first part, and, in a second chapter, the remembrance of this moment 49 years later.

Cast

 * Wan Fang as Ah Eng
 * Pearlly Chua as Dou E
 * Rexen Cheng as Hokkien Boy
 * Pauline Tan as Eng's mother
 * Peter Yu as Kooi
 * Alvin Wong as Fong

Production
Snow in Midsummer is Chong Keat Aun's second feature film after The Story of Southern Islet (2020).

Jment Lim, founder of SunStrong Entertainment, is the executive producer of the film, which was previously honored with the ‘French CNC Cash Award’ at the 2020 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, and has also received support from the Singapore Film Commission (SFC)’s Southeast Asia Co-production Grant (SCPG), TAICCA's  Taiwan International Co-funding Programme (TICP) and the Taipei Film Fund from the Taipei Film Commission (TFC).

Filming was wrapped by August 2022.

Historical and political background
Snow in Midsummer deals with the 13 May incident.

Chinese Opera
The film is also described as follows: "Perhaps best of all, it’s a loving depiction of traditional Chinese opera, with the first part of the film set among the milieu of live performance and the second part paying a wistful tribute to the art form."

The two chapters of the films are associated with a classic Chinese play of the Yuan dynasty, that gives its title to the film, Snow in Midsummer (also commonly referred to as The Injustice to You E or Snow in June and later adapted into opera). The play explores the themes of corrupt powers and wrongful legal decisions. In an interview, Chong Keat Aun underlined the connection between the political background and the presence of the play in the film: "The Chinese opera “Snow in June” holds significant importance in the film’s narrative. Chong Keat Aun explains that on that fateful night in May, an opera singer died and was buried in the same cemetery. During his research, he discovered a member of that opera troupe who revealed that they were performing “Snow in June,” an ancient story dating back to the Ming Dynasty. This story revolves around women who suffer abuse and escape their hometown, making a solemn vow: if they are truly innocent, snow will fall even in the summertime. Chong Keat Aun sought to intertwine the film’s narrative with that of the opera, creating a layered and poignant storytelling experience."

Reception
Snow in Midsummer received positive reviews. A review at Loud and Clear stated "Undoubtedly, Snow in Midsummer is going to be more impactful for those in the audience who know about the May 13 acts of violence in Kuala Lumpur and may have a strong cultural memory of the event. Nonetheless, the impressive sound design and camerawork allow us to sympathize with this historical event through the eyes of the main character. The film is heartbreaking in its recollection of such a significant moment in Malaysian politics, one that the general public should know more about since it has such an impact on our present, as the film so brilliantly shows us with its time jump to 2018. " Another review compared the film to Hou Hsiao-hsien's A City of Sadness while a third stated, "Snow in Midsummer leaves behind the lavish reconstitution of the past, for an approach closer to the cinema of Apichatpong Weerasethakul (the scene with the mobile excavator disturbing the resting place of ghosts is a clear reference to his masterpiece Cemetery of Splendour), halfway between harsh reality and strong spirituality. The emotions conveyed are just as powerful in both cases, whatever the era displayed and the pictorial approach opted for.' An independent reviewer praised the slow pace but astute sense of rhythm of the film, and the simplicity and strength of the plot