Tan Bee Thiam explores how human behaviour creates unique environments, regardless of the algorithm used to try to control them. Tiong Bahru Social Club takes us beyond a superficial exploration of our obsession with technology as a solution to our shared woes, as it delves into the very foundations of our well-being: human contact and connection. Fantasia Festival presents Tiong Bahru Social Club; book tickets here.
This year has seen Finland crowned the happiest place in the world again, but what is happiness, and how do we measure it? In truth, the concept of happiness differs for everyone; for some, happiness is found within their family, while for others, it is found in their work or hobby. Therefore, can we really measure happiness? Or does our attempt to do so inadvertently lead to our unhappiness? These questions find a dedicated and beautiful voice in Tan Bee Thiam’s Tiong Bahru Social Club.
Ah Bee (Thomas Pang) spends his days addressing complaints as he strives to keep his clients satisfied. For Ah Bee, life is about finding a safe middle ground that never upsets the delicate balance of a life restrained by convention. But, there is a problem: Ah Bee’s happiness. His life is a slow trudge from one day to the next, his smile a mere facade, and his only happiness is found at home with his mum. His mum recognises this and feels it’s time for her son to spread his wings, gifting him an elusive invite to join the Tiong Bahru Social Club for his thirtieth birthday.
Tiong Bahru Social Club is an exclusive gated community in Singapore, featuring art deco landscapes and vibrant colours, built on the belief that shared community happiness is everyone’s business. But there is a condition for each new arrival, as Ah Bee is about to discover. Each young resident must become a happiness agent, supporting an older community member while their happiness level and that of their client are measured daily.
Ah Bee is assigned the cynical and rebellious Ms Wee (Jalyn Han), who has more than a passing love of cats and art. Ms Wee’s apartment is full of self-painted cat portraits of every feline she has ever loved, but her love of people is far less obvious. But as Ah Bee tries his hardest to promote Ms Wee’s happiness, can a community algorithm bring joy? Or is Ah Bee about to discover that happiness is in the eye of the beholder?
With echoes of the Netflix show Dark Mirror, Tan Bee Thiam’s film transcends many of the usual fantasy/science fiction tropes. Here, there is no sinister plot or deadly game sitting behind the community that embraces Ah Bee. Instead, we have a group of well-meaning managers who seek to use tech in building social perfection. In many ways, this reflects the people who sit behind the social media empires we celebrate, people who believed happiness could be built on shared communities of likes and comments. However, as we all know, social media also has a dark side that the programmers and creators never foresaw: human behaviour!
Tan Bee Thiam explores how human behaviour creates unique environments, regardless of the algorithm used to try to control them. Tiong Bahru Social Club takes us beyond a superficial exploration of our obsession with technology as a solution to our shared woes, as it delves into the very foundations of our well-being: human contact and connection.
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