“the torch” #5 - “Royston's Shorts” - A critical discussion Pt.1

This time “The Torch” takes on a DVD collection of some of the short films by established Singaporean director Royston Tan and in reviewing them tries to assess these works' aesthetic scope and cinematic import one by one. As such can never be an all-encompassing undertaking by nature, yet there still seems to be a point in sketching some rudimentary outlines of any future serious discussion of these shorts, doing groundwork. For the time being it is filling in some gaps on the map of critical evaluation of Tan's relevance to contemporary film making, which it is the declared aim of this column to initiate and further.
There appears to be a quite astonishing lack of any profound analysis or attempt at actual understanding, reading of these films as opposed to mere description and marvel, but it is beyond any doubt in here that these are indeed worth making precisely this effort. Try it out!

(pic©mo)