"An absolutely fascinating and illuminating read, Postcolonial Hangups in Southeast Asian Cinema is a most welcome addition to the vital body of work on world cinemas. Written with a warm and welcoming prose, it brings alive as-yet underappreciated films from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in an affective, even atmospheric, manner. What stands out most is the carefully considered and commendably self-aware engagement of these South East Asian cinemas with theory. The result of this is an enjoyable book which offers the opportunity to shake up accepted ways of thinking about what theory can tell us about postcolonial cinema. The findings of this remarkable book are of pertinence for scholars looking to decolonise thinking around the globe. As such its resonance will undoubtedly be felt for many years to come."
- David Martin-Jones, author of Cinema Against Doublethink (2018), Deleuze and World Cinemas (2011), Deleuze, Cinema and National Identity (2006).
"Wide-ranging and comprehensive, Gerald Sim's study at the intersection of postcolonial theory and politics exposes gaps and chasms with a nuanced eye. His close readings capture important cultural ironies, and he applies theories of film sound and space to enlightening effect. Anyone with an interest in Southeast Asian cinema needs to read this book."
- Tan Pin Pin, director of Singapore GaGa (2005) and In Time to Come (2017).