Celebrating the classics of Asian cinema and beyond, Restored is a regular series showcasing films that have been meticulously preserved and restored by different institutions from across the world. The platform revisits these classics in a new light and allows them to be appreciated by new generations of audiences.

SINGAPORE PREMIERE

2K Restoration
Director: Mary Stephen
Runtime: 62 min
Country: Canada, France
Language: French, Mandarin with English subtitles
Rating: R21

Synopsis

Prior to being Éric Rohmer’s long-term editor, Mary Stephen already revealed her prowess in shaping emotional intimacy on screen through her debut feature, Ombres de Soie. 

Set in a surreal 1935 Shanghai that is unmistakably filtered through 1970s Paris, the film follows two Chinese women, whose schoolgirl friendship has evolved into something far more complicated. Intimate glances and gestures between the two, paired with confessional voiceovers, reveal a quiet yearning that threatens to spill over. 

With traces of inspiration from Marguerite Duras and Alain Resnais, Ombres de Soie is a film caught between worlds, feeling historical yet modern, distant yet intimate. Poetic in its composition, it evokes the visual textures of Eileen Chang’s writing, where interiors, silences, and lingering gazes carry the depth of memory and desire. Unravelling like an essay, the film charts the tension between the women’s shared desire for stability and the compulsion to question that very desire.

The screenings of Ombres de Soie will be accompanied by the short film Ying & Summer (2011, Gladys Ng) 

Ying & Summer (2011)
Director: Gladys Ng
Runtime: 11 mins
Country: Australia
Language: Mandarin, Chinese with English subtitles
Rating: PG

Synopsis

Newly arrived in Melbourne, shy Chinese student Ying (Jenny Zhou) navigates the quiet loneliness of migrant life until she meets Summer (Charlotte Nicdao), a radiant and outgoing local. As their unlikely friendship unfolds, Ying & Summer explores displacement, connection and what it means to feel at home in a foreign city.

Screening Dates

Saturday, 14 March 2026, 5pm (+ online Q&A session with director Mary Stephen)

Saturday, 28 March 2026, 2pm (+ post-screening discussion with Gladys Ng)

Sunday, 5 April 2026, 2pm

Tickets for Ombres de Soi + Ying & Summer are now on sale

Scroll down to select the screening of your choice and click through to purchase tickets.

Friends of AFA members, please read the membership guide on how to purchase your discounted tickets and redeem your complimentary tickets.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre does not play ads and screenings will start promptly. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime, so arrive early to register and find a seat. Arrive early so as not to disrupt the screenings. All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online to be able to secure a seat. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.

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T&Cs
Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.

Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.

Upon confirmation of your order for Tickets, no exchange of Tickets will be made under any circumstances and Tickets are not transferable. No refund on Tickets will be made under any circumstances except due to cancellation of the event. The resale of Tickets at any price is prohibited.