Culture

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • Jul 17, 2023 • 10 min read

Interview Behind ‘Riot Island’: Filmmaker talks Singapore prison documentary

By Amanda Oon • Jul 17, 2023
Director Tom St. John Gray sought to explore the historical events of Pulau Senang, a penal experiment gone terribly wrong. In this interview following last week’s feature story on the riot’s anniversary, Gray describes his process and why he thinks the prison-island’s collapse is an almost “Shakespearean” tale

Culture • Jun 06, 2023 • 9 min read
Interview

A new lens on Southeast Asian street photography

The upcoming journal Plaza, a release by publisher Soi Books, will showcase photographers from across the region as they document their homes. The Globe spoke with Soi Books co-founder Suridh “Shaz” Das-Hassan about the project and the wider publishing scene
By Molly Dunlap • Jun 06, 2023

Culture • May 18, 2023 • 6 min read
Sports and games

In SEA Games debut, Cambodian chess gets a spotlight

Otherwise known as ouk chaktrang, the regional variant of the more familiar international chess game has leaped from cafe tables and street-side hangouts to the big stage. With ancient roots and a modern tradition, the game’s sudden visibility could usher in a new generation of players
By Molly Dunlap • May 18, 2023

Culture • May 18, 2023 • 6 min read
Sports

SEA Games end with a bang in Phnom Penh

The 32nd iteration of the region’s largest sporting event ended Wednesday night, following more than a fortnight of heated competition, intense rivalry and the foundations for future diplomatic relations between the 11 participants
By Amanda Oon • May 18, 2023

Culture • May 10, 2023 • 11 min read
Development

Historic Luang Prabang braces for change

As tourists flock to the Laos destination on the banks of the Mekong River, locals worry the town’s essence is at risk due to overcrowding and upstream damming
By Beatrice Siviero and Anton L. Delgado • May 10, 2023

Culture • May 07, 2023 • 4 min read
Interview

The U.K. has a new king. What does that mean for ASEAN?

The 6 May coronation of Charles III marked a new era for the British monarchy as the ceremonies caught some interest in parts of its former colonies in Southeast Asia. In this Q&A, the Southeast Asia Globe caught up with analyst and new author Charles Dunst to talk about the U.K.’s modern relevance in the region
By Amanda Oon • May 07, 2023

Culture • Apr 28, 2023 • 7 min read
Photography

Black Hands and ‘immortal impressions’

Inside the studio of Hoi An-based photographer Boris Zuliani, his quest to produce analogue images in a digitised world and his latest exhibition: WANTED
By James Compton • Apr 28, 2023