Official accounts of Singapore’s history record that the island state was founded in 1819 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles as part of the British colonial empire. Little is known, however, about the other pre-colonial founder, known as Sang Nila Utama or the first ‘king’ of the Malays, who coined the name Singapura (or Lion City) between the 13th and 14th centuries when he encountered a lion along its shores. A genre-blending mixture of fiction, documentary, filmic tableaus, philosophical meditation, political allegory, mythical fantasy, costume parade, dramatic enactments and film essay, this film sets into motion an inquiry into a subterranean network of issues related to myths, history, origins and power.
 
Ho Tzu Nyen makes films, videos and theatrical performances. Solo exhibitions of his work include “MAM Project #16” at the Mori Art Museum (2012), the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2011) and “Earth” at Artspace, Sydney (2011). His recent group exhibitions include “Homeworks 6” in Beirut (2013), Auckland Triennial (2013) and “No Country” at the Guggenheim Museum in New York (2013).