Pop Aye

By local filmmaker, Kirsten Tan, and the first Singaporean movie nominated for the Sundance Film Festival

An architect on a journey with his elephant encounters many different types of people
The effects of urbanisation on people and animals.
Regret and guilt.

The movie begins with a middle-aged man trying to hitchhike with his elephant. Later we find out that he has mistaken this elephant to be that of his childhood elephant, Popeye. He sold Popeye out to start a livelihood in Bangkok. Popeye was put down a few years ago as his leg was broken.

But first he appears to be sidelined at work. This unhappiness propels him to his childhood memories about his childhood elephant. He buys one who was being monetised.
This elephant is really cute and expressive. He can smile, make noises when he's sad, sheet and happy. Very cool.

The film pans back and forth between real time and what transpired before. We understand that the lead was thrown out of the house by his wife.
In his bid to travel to his childhood home, he meets a vagrant, policemen and a transvestite. The vagrant, though poor, willingly gives up his early possessions to him, and is kind. The lead gives him money to buy a scooter to fulfill the vagrant's childhood dreams and a phone.

The lead gets caught fire forged papers etc, but cleverly gets his policemen drunk and escapes with the help of a transvestite. She was very kind too and got him the keys to unlock his elephant. There is this jarring unkindness in the sex industry in Thailand.

Along the way they met the vagrant who met a fatal accident. Detouring again he cremated the vagrant and brings the ashes to his lover.

Finally they reach his childhood kampung, which lo and behold, is now a cement building with similar units like a HDB. His uncle sold the land to a developer, seeking himself out to the city. The city took his soul, no doubt.

Sadly he brings "Popeye" to an elephant sanctuary. Did he managed to redeem himself?

The movie closes with impending demolition of the first building which the lead character but. It is sad but seemingly inevitable.