Mindee Ong

A novelist with writer's block reaches into the supernatural for inspiration.

Two Singaporean girls join together to form the Papaya Sisters, a getai group that sings at performances during the seventh lunar month. Big Papaya is estranged from her mother, who disapproves of her performances, whilst Little Papaya is an orphan who suffers from terminal cancer. The two are assisted by Auntie Ling and her son, Guan Yin. The two soon rise to the top of the Singaporean getai scene singing traditional Hokkien songs, but their fame brings along with it the enmity of the Durian Sisters, a rival group of techno-singing Eurasian girls.

As a child, Lian Hua dreamed of becoming a performer in Singapore's Getai shows, concerts staged the same month each year and featuring emotionally broad songs of love, life and death. However, Lian's father dissuaded her from following her dreams, and while Lian never lost her love for music, her ambitions would be tied to tragedy as she grew to adulthood. As a grown woman, Lian finally seems poised to make her mark as a performer when she joins forces with flashy vocalist Astroboy and heartthrob Ah Long. Ah Long falls for Lian, but their romance comes to an abrupt end and Lian is assaulted by a handful of thugs who want to collect a debt from her father. Ten years later, middle aged Lian thinks she may have another chance at success when she finds new love, but fate has led her to the brink of madness and once again disappointment lies in wait for her.

Yang is a widower who is used to living a solitary life. He lives a simple and poor life. His eldest daughter is married and resides in Kuala Lumpur, his second daughter is still studying in Singapore and his youngest son works as a small-time salesman. Yang`s real troubles begin when he realises that he cannot afford to celebrate the coming Chinese New Year. However, a chance encounter with his long-time friend, Lin, who has become a millionaire, changes Yang`s life as Lin offers Yang a once in a lifetime chance of becoming a millionaire for a month.

Bringing together some of the most talented Asian directors working within the genre sphere, this new anthology series creates an atmosphere unlike anything that’s come out of the region before.