Singapore International Film Festival: Worthy watches

The 2024 edition of the annual Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) begins on Nov 28 and some screenings have already sold out. Tickets for these three interesting films, however, are still available. 

The drama La Cocina (M18, 139 minutes, screens at Golden Village Cineleisure on Dec 1, 11am), directed by Mexican film-maker Alonso Ruizpalacios, reveals the complex social hierarchies of those working in restaurant kitchens.

It follows Pedro (Raul Briones), an undocumented Mexican chef, and his colleagues during a hectic service at The Grill in New York City. When money goes missing from the register, tensions rise among the kitchen staff, many of whom are undocumented immigrants.

La Cocina was nominated for a Golden Bear, the top prize at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. 

The documentary No Other Land (R21, 96 minutes, screens at Golden Village Bugis+ on Dec 4, 9pm) follows Palestinian activist and film-maker Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham as they document forced displacement in Masafer Yatta, occupied West Bank.

Their collaboration exposes the stark inequalities between their lives. Co-directed by Adra, Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor, the film won the top documentary prize at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. 

The Shrouds (R21, 119 minutes, screens at Golden Village Bugis+ on Dec 3, 4.30pm, and Golden Village Cineleisure on Dec 6, 9.30pm...