Salam Gembira stars (from left) Dutch actors Mitchell van Kleef, Angela Oostveen, Joeri de Bruin and Angelica Reitsma, and Singapore actors Rafaat Haji Hamzah, Rozita Abu and Rizal Aiman. SINGAPORE – With its LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) themes, Salam Gembira (Happy Greetings), a Malay feature film set in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, may have raised a few eyebrows since its theatrical release in Singapore on July 4. But the home-grown film-makers behind the Singapore comedy-drama – director and co-writer Dzul Sungit, co-producer and co-writer Remi M.
Sali and co-producer Ho Pak Kin – say it celebrates acceptance and inclusivity. Remi tells The Straits Times that they were careful to portray its characters with sensitivity and respect. “We want to normalise having an open yet respectful dialogue about difficult matters,” says the 49-year-old.
Salam Gembira, which passed uncut with an R21 rating due to “mature theme and some homosexual content”, is showing exclusively at Filmgarde Cineplex – Kallang and ends its run on July 17. The 111-minute film premiered at The Projector on June 30, on the final day of Pride Month, which is celebrated in June. The film-makers say they could not release the movie earlier, as they had to wait for the censors to clear it for release.
They also wanted to avoid releasing it close to Hari Raya Haji, which fell on June 17. The home-grown cast includes actors who appear regularly on Mediacorp Su.