Not My Mother's Baking

Today we finally overcame our cinema COVID fears because we wanted to catch this little local production called Not My Mother's Baking. While the movie casts many fresh new faces, the strong storyline and script got me laughing and crying along for 2 hours! It centers around the love journey of the daughter of a Muslim celebrity baker and son of a Chinese roast pork seller. All the bias, fears and conversations of other that inter-racial couples need to navigate w each other, with their families and even within themselves... But yet the heart knows when it has met its mate, regardless of how wide and insurmountable the gap may be, or how impossible that love may seem. Kudos to Remi and Ho Pak Kin for writing such authentic dialogues into a beautifully accessible script that keeps you watching just because you want to watch the almost musical like finale of the wedding.

Upon watching this during the world premiere which is also the 31st Singapore International Film Festival, I have had finally realised that the movie tells more of a Singaporean story or an Asian story as compared to the award-winning film, "Crazy Rich Asians". This film feels more real, more unfiltered and authentic, finally addressing some underlying issues in the society that is still lingering around up till today. Definitely a MUST WATCH and easily an award-winning film.

Having seen darker narratives that unearths the underbelly of Singapore from many local directors, now comes, Not My Mother's Baking, a new film by Remi M Sali as a breather. A lighted hearted film of two distinct worlds colliding and eventually embracing, for love is stronger than any differences. Compared to so many local films that are merely cropping up to preach propaganda, this film touches the right issues at the right pace. With a well balanced family drama, romance and dreams, I strongly encourage the local community to go watch this film. All characters are there for a reason and each and everyone of them have done their part well. Good comic sense and timing. A Singaporean film that actually depicts Singapore and Singaporeans the way they are. One thing I truly applaud this film for, is the way it was able to immediately connect with me - with its simple bare story. The filmmaker has managed to tell a story without trying to do so many other things. That's all as a viewer I am looking for. A clear story. Clear storyline, character goals and challenges captured in this local narrative. There are many moments in the film where the realities of different cultures and households collide and that too for a reason. Poignant and eyebrow-raising truths well depicted without resorting to deploy many unnecessary cliches. Both the lead characters have done justice to the roles they had played.Very bold depictions of realities at various parts of the film. Strongly encourage schools to show this movie to students for there is so much to learn and unpack from this new film. So many contemporary issues can be discussed by using this film as a starting point. Kudos to the film director film and his team for making such a nice film. Very nice seeing such a film of 'SEPET' feel. Good job to the entire team.

It's been a while since I last watched a good movie, and I must say that this movie is truly a good watch with a unique storyline that we do not see it often. It is very real and has also addressed issues that are not presented on the surface level and I found myself understand deeper in the society we live in. It is quite a mind opening piece of beautiful film with so many things that we can truly learn, unpack and appreciate from. Well done to Ho Pak Kin and Remi for writing this wonderful and well-balanced film and the casts for great acting skills. I am still "wow-ed" by this film even after I have left the cinema, and it is definitely a must watch.

It was such a light-hearted movie tackling important issues on interracial marriage/relationships in Singapore. One that many perhaps might deter from engaging a conversation with each other: the inner prejudicial and often, misunderstood classification that our society very much face in the community at large. The idealogy could perhaps passed on to generation and one might wonder, when will the stigma ends? Do we want our young Singaporeans to inherit a stigmatizing belief?

This movie higlighted it in a humourous manner with alot of reflection for their viewers. I believed Singapore is evolving and so does our local storytellers. We should be brave to lend a voice to issues that matters most. There is simply no room to whether it is a taboo topic to talk about. Singapore has changed and now, creating many platforms for several others to raise concerns regarding racial equality, interfaith, intrafaith and many other identity concerns for us as Singaporeans. Thus, the filmmakers would love you to reflect upon what is the meaning of racial equality and how do we practice it ?