What To Watch If You’re A Fan Of Malaya & Singapore Colonial History


For anyone fascinated by Malaya/Singapore colonial history, there’s actually quite a lot on screen to explore. I’ll admit I’ve been more or less obsessed with these stories for the past couple of years, and I’ve managed to watch most of what’s out there.


Some of the international standouts:

Changi (2001) – An Australian miniseries about POWs held in Singapore, blending memory, trauma, and dark humour.

The Singapore Grip (2020) – Adapted from J.G. Farrell’s satirical novel, set against the fall of Singapore in 1942.

Tenko (1981–84) – A BBC drama about British, Australian, and Dutch women interned by the Japanese in Singapore and the region.

A Town Like Alice (1981) – Miniseries adaptation of Nevil Shute’s novel, with key parts set in Malaya during WWII.

Saint Jack (1979) – Filmed in Singapore, offering a rare unvarnished look at the city in the 1970s, though more social than colonial.


Earlier cinematic takes worth noting:

The Letter (1940)  – An American crime film noir directed by William Wyler and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, and James Stephenson. Adapted by Howard E. Koch from W. Somerset Maugham’s 1927 play -- based on his own short story -- the film was previously made in 1929. Maugham’s tale was inspired by a real-life 1911 scandal in Kuala Lumpur, where the Eurasian wife of a school headmaster was tried for murdering her male friend.

The Planter’s Wife (1952) – A British melodrama set during the Malayan Emergency, very much of its time.

Windom’s Way (1957) – Starring Peter Finch as a doctor caught in political upheaval in Malaya.


The 7th Dawn (1964) – A technicolor drama directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring William Holden, Capucine, and Tetsurō Tamba. Set during the Malayan Emergency, the film is based on Michael Keon’s 1960 novel The Durian Tree and was shot on location in Malaysia.


From the Malaysian side, there are some powerful and patriotic works that deal directly with the colonial, Japanese and communist periods:

Abu Nawas (1954) – The first feature film produced in Kuala Lumpur. Directed by Cyril Randall and produced by the Malayan Film Unit (MFU), this docu-drama starred Nona Asiah and Ismail Kassim. It portrays the struggles of Malayan society against the threat of communist insurgents during the Emergency.


Sarjan Hassan (1958) – Starring P. Ramlee, this film tells the story of a Malay soldier’s courage during the Japanese occupation. 

Bukit Kepong (1981) – A classic directed by Jins Shamsuddin, depicting the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident where Malay policemen resisted a communist insurgent attack. 

Leftenan Adnan (2000) – A patriotic war film dramatising the heroism of Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and the Malay Regiment at the Battle of Singapore in 1942. 

1957: Hati Malaya (2007) – A historical drama reflecting on the journey toward Merdeka, weaving together both political and personal struggles. 


And beyond films and dramas, there are archival treasures online. The British Pathé YouTube channel has colonial-era newsreels of Malaya and Singapore from the 1930s to the 1950s, while the FINAS YouTube channel hosts the Retrospektif series -- short documentaries on Malaysian history that are considered real gems.

They don’t always get the details right -- some are dated, some overly dramatised -- but taken together, these dramas, war stories, newsreels, and documentaries sketch out a fascinating screen history of the region, especially when compared with real events.

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