The Hunt for Chicken Rice War by Samhita adapa

 3/1/26

The Hunt for Chicken Rice War 

by Samhita adapa

In 2000, a Singaporean director, named Chee Kong Cheah(CheeK), made a film called Chicken Rice War, released by Rain Tree Pictures. It’s a modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, not uncommon at all, set between two feuding chicken rice selling families in Singapore, whose kids fall in love with each other. Since then, the film has been played at multiple different festivals such as the IFFR in 2002, and more recently The Far East Film Festival just in April last year. Despite it being over a quarter decade since the film was released, no digital copy exists today and I’m set out on a seemingly endless journey to find this film. 

I first came across this film over the summer last year. I remember it vividly. It was 11:30 on a warm Thursday, July night and I was scrolling through IMDB when I found the film Firefly Dreams. Firefly Dreams is yet another movie I can’t find on the internet, however, there are still copies being sold on Ebay. Seeing how my parents probably wouldn’t let me buy a DVD for 50 bucks, I was searching for more films like it when a redditor recommended, under a decade old thread, to watch Chicken Rice War. That’s when I set out on my hunt. First, I went to Youtube and found nothing other than a trailer and a few second long clips. That’s when I started to sail the high seas. I searched practically every mainstream pirating site for this movie, but to no avail. Then I had to delve into the more underground sites. Speaking of which, I found a cool site to watch old, rare films called rarefillmm, so go check that out. It’s completely legal too. Back to Chicken Rice War, I ended up going to some russian site with the most obscure movies ever and yet I STILL couldn’t find this film. Almost 2 hours of searching amounted to absolutely nothing. Even the Internet Archive didn’t have it. This film just didn’t seem to exist digitally. 

This was when I realized I wouldn’t find this film normally. I went to Wikipedia, found the list of producers. I created a new Instagram account and dm’ed producer Suat Yen Lim after following her, asking if she produced the film and if she happened to have a copy of the film that she could slide over. Unfortunately, and it's been over 5 months, she never responded to me and granted, I probably wouldn’t respond to a day-old Instagram account with no followers asking about a movie I financed 25 years ago. While I was waiting for her response, which I didn’t realize would never come, I sent an inquiry to the Asian National Film Archive through their website. 2-3 months later, I got a response saying “If you're located in Singapore, you may watch the film at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library located at level 8 of the National Library”. Regrettably, I don’t live in Singapore, nor do I have any plans to go there anytime soon, so I responded, thanking them for their help and time and explaining that I was in the States. 

After this, I did some more digging. A redditor 8 months ago had the same question and was wondering where to find the film. Someone responded with a link to www.nas.gov.sg, the National Archives of Singapore. There you could buy the film. Before I could even consider dropping close to 100 bucks on just the second half of the film, the VCR went out of stock. Right in front of my eyes. When I checked back today, I added it to my cart but I can’t seem to get past the checkout page. I don’t even know if they ship internationally or if they even have the first half of the film for another 70 dollars. This was the end of my search in the summer, and I forgot about the film. 

And then, 6 months later, one of the actors from the movie replied to me in a youtube comment section. I remembered that back in July, I left a comment on the trailer, asking where to watch the film. The man who played Mr.Pillay in the movie responded with “Just Google Chicken Rice War the full movie. 🍿 I am Mr Pillay in the movie”. This was when I considered dropping the entire search. “ Just Google Chicken Rice War”. It seemed like all my searching, all my emails and comments, was just summed up to 5 short words. It wasn’t that easy. Doesn’t this dude know I searched EVERYWHERE? But I took a deep breath and replied, “I searched everywhere, dude. Any chance you have a link? Would appreciate it a lot”. However, the fact that one of my inquiries got noticed, to the point of one the actors replying, reignited my passion. I started to search again, going all the way to the 10th page of results on Google, where the only Chicken Rice War I found was recipes and restaurant reviews. I did find a recent interview with the director about the film on Facebook, on page 4 of search results, so I made an account and commented, asking where I could watch his movie. There's an MIT archive about Global Shakespeare adaptations on page 6 so I emailed them on their page on Chicken Rice War. On page 9, 4 years ago, Elsa Verina wrote an article on Medium about the film, so I commented, asking where I could watch the film. As of right now, no one has responded to me. Yet…hopefully. 

Honestly, I don’t know why this movie has such a hold on me. From the reviews I’ve read, it seems very mediocre. Nothing special. But the saying goes “You want what you can’t have”. The unattainability of this film makes me want it more. Every second I spend chasing this movie, the more I want it. There are more recent reviews on letterboxd, which means people are still watching it. So it's possible. If I need to take a trip to Singapore this summer, so be it. I will watch this movie. 

Works Cited

“CHICKEN RICE WAR.” Fareastfilm.com, 2026, www.fareastfilm.com/eng/archive/2001/chicken-rice-war/?IDLYT=15535. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

“Chicken Rice War - IFFR EN.” IFFR EN, 2024, iffr.com/en/iffr/2002/films/chicken-rice-war. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

“Chicken Rice War – MIT Global Shakespeares.” Mit.edu, 2022, globalshakespeares.mit.edu/chicken-rice-war-cheah-ck-2000/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

“Chicken Rice War 鸡缘巧合 | Asian Film Archive.” Asian Film Archive, 16 Apr. 2020, asianfilmarchive.org/catalogue/%E9%B8%A1%E7%BC%98%E5%B7%A7%E5%90%88/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2025, www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/1lnyqgx/tomtmovie2000s_movie_about_an_adaptation_of_romeo/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

Lost Colony of Roanoke by Umar Malek

 In August 1587, approximately 115 English people landed on Roanoke Island off the coast of present-day North Carolina to try to establish England’s first permanent colony in the New World. This group was going to be the first successful attempt of an English colony in the New World. The settlers were men, women, and children, including Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in North America. 

After settling in, the colony’s governor, John White, decided to return to England later during the same year to obtain supplies. However, White’s return plans were put on hold after an unforeseen obstacle, war with Spain, emerged. England was preparing against the mighty Spanish Armada, and therefore, all available ships were commandeered to serve in the war. Therefore, White could not return to Roanoke for nearly three years. 

When White finally sailed back in August 1590, he found something no one expected, the entire settlement was deserted. There were no bodies, no battle or struggle, and no written explanation. The lone survivor of this mystery was a single clue in the form of the word “CROATOAN” carved into one of the wooden posts of the colony’s barrier. 

The word Croatoan was significant in that it was the name of a nearby island, as well as the name of a Native American tribe that inhabited the island. Some believed this meant that the colonists had gone to live with that tribe. White, however, found no trace of the settlers when he later returned to Croatoan Island, which was later renamed Hatteras Island. 

Over the centuries, historians and archaeologists have come up with several theories explaining the disappearance. Other theories propose that the colonists were killed or taken by the local Native Americans. Other theories hold that the colonists had tried to build a ship to get back to England and were lost at sea. It is also possible that they moved further inland and assimilated with the Native American population. None of the theories measures up to the clues left behind, and there is no solid conclusion to be drawn from the evidence. 

Starting in the early 2000s, researchers began using a range of modern techniques, including DNA analysis, to try to uncover definitive evidence of what transpired with those who stayed at Roanoke. That scientists' examination of some families local to tribes in the region, or whose ancestors had been the colonists of Roanoke, did not give unambiguous evidence. 

Although the fate of the Lost Colony remains unsolved, the mystery has provided important lessons for later English colonization attempts. Just 17 years after the disappearance at Roanoke, settlers successfully established Jamestown nearby. 

“What Happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 

https://www.history.com/articles/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke. Accessed 

28 Feb. 2026.

Why I Recommend Watching The Film The Crucible Kavin Sivakumar

 Why I Recommend Watching The Film The Crucible

Kavin Sivakumar

The Crucible is a play made by Arthur Miller that shows how intense and emotional Salem Witch Trials was. The story is filled with dramatic moments and important themes that are seen throughout the film. The play helps you understand the dialogue and themes while watching the movie helps show the fear and emotions from the characters. Seeing the characters facial expressions, hearing their voices, and reactions help better understand the characters motives. 

One of the reasons that I would recommend watching this film is because of the actors' performances. I think the actors do a good job on showing the fear and pressure that the characters felt when the witchcraft accusations spread in the town. For example, the way the actors move and their facial expression can give us a better understanding of how they were during the trials. I also think that they do a good job on showing the complicated relationship between the characters. For instance, there is one scene where John and Elizabeth proctor are in the same room, but Elizabeth is standing far away from him showing that Elizabeth doesn’t fully trust him. To sum up, the actors' performance can help us get a better understanding of the characters and the overall plot of the play. 

Another reason I recommend the film The Crucible is because it can help show the historical setting of the play. I believe the costumes, scenery, and atmosphere shows us how life was like during the Salem Witch Trials. Instead of just telling us the rules and the beliefs of the town the film shows us how tense the environment was. For example, the clothes that the characters wear show that women were expected to work in the house because they wear longer dresses and tie up their hair while the men work outside because they wear clothes that are easy to move in. Overall, the setting of the movie helps us get a better understanding of the time period of the Salem Witch Trials and why some of the characters made the choices that they made. 

The movie also highlights important themes that were in the play such as peer pressure, fear, reputation, and honesty. Watching the story play out on the screen makes the themes look more realistic. I believe watching the film helps us see how quickly lies and rumors can destroy lives, which is something that can happen in the real world. In general, the film helps bring themes out to the real world and helps show how it can affect people today.

In conclusion, the film The Crucible is a great movie to watch if you plan to or read the play version of The Crucible.  The themes, settings, and actors' performances help us get a better understanding of the plot and relationship between the characters. It also helps us see the motive of the characters. All of these factors are what make The Crucible such a great film to watch.

A Land Far Away By: Sachi Dixit

 A Land Far Away

By: Sachi Dixit

There’s a place where the sky is violet at night

and the stars don’t just shine,

they whisper.

Floating islands drift like slow thoughts,

held up by nothing anyone can explain.

Waterfalls spill upward

into glowing moons.

The trees are made of glass leaves

that sing when the wind passes through.

Dragons sleep curled around mountains,

their scales glowing like embers in the dark.

Rivers don’t flow with water,

they flow with light.

If you step inside,

your reflection shows you’re future self

Castles rise from silver cliffs,

built from stone that remembers every story.

And the air tastes like frost and lightning,

like something about to happen.

In that world,

magic isn’t rare.

It’s everywhere,

in the ground, in the sky, in your hands

But are you bold enough to grasp it?

Why Prison Break Is One of the Best Shows Ever Made By: Sachi Dixit

 Why Prison Break Is One of the Best Shows Ever Made

By: Sachi Dixit

Prison Break is one of the best shows ever made because of its unique and

intense storyline. The show is about Michael Scofield, a smart engineer who purposely

gets himself sent to prison to break out his brother, Lincoln Burrows, who was

wrongfully accused of murder. Michael plans everything carefully and even tattoos the

prison blueprints on his body to help him escape. But the show is not just about

escaping prison. It also focuses on proving Lincoln’s innocence and uncovering a bigger

conspiracy behind the case.

What makes the show so good is how detailed and strategic the escape plan is.

Every episode shows another step of Michael’s plan, and there are always problems that

make things more complicated. Just when it feels like everything is going right,

something unexpected happens. The suspense keeps viewers hooked because they

always want to find out what will happen next.

Another reason the show stands out is the character development. All the

characters each have their own backstories, struggles, and motivations. Some characters

who seem like villains at first become important allies. The relationship between Michael

and Lincoln is also very powerful. Their loyalty to each other adds emotion to the story

and makes the risks feel more real.

Overall, Prison Break is one of the best shows because it combines intelligence,

suspense, emotion, and action in a balanced way. The plot is creative, the pacing is

strong, and the twists keep the audience interested. It’s the kind of show that makes you

want to watch “just one more episode” every time.

The Dream Where I’m in Focus By: Sachi Dixit

 The Dream Where I’m in Focus By: Sachi Dixit 

Last night, 

I was the main character. 

Not blurry. 

Not standing in the background 

while everyone else spoke louder. 

The sky looked painted, 

as if someone cared enough 

to mix the colors slowly. 

Lavender clouds. 

Gold at the edges. 

The streets were empty 

but not lonely 

like they belonged to me. 

The air felt light, 

easy to breathe. 

My steps were quiet 

but sure, 

like I knew where I was going 

even if I didn’t. 

Nothing rushed me. 

Nothing needed explaining. 

It was just simple 

walking under a sky 

that looked made on purpose, 

in a world that felt calm 

and wide 

and somehow 

exactly the right size for me.

Before the World Wakes By: Sachi Dixit

Before the World Wakes By: Sachi Dixit 

I wake before the house remembers how to move,

before doors open 

before dishes clink 

before anyone calls my name. 

The air is already warm, 

slipping through the window impatiently

Summer doesn’t rush 

It just settles. 

The floorboards are cool under my feet and everything is in slow motion 

like the world hit the do-not-disturb button just for me 

Outside, the light is golden but gentle, stretching across the grass 

touching rooftops softly 

like it doesn’t want to wake them yet. 

Birds softly practicing their harmonies A car passes somewhere far away. 

But inside this moment, nothing is loud 

It’s not a big happiness, 

not fireworks, 

not laughter filling rooms 

It’s the kind that lives in small spaces, 

in quiet mornings, 

in the space between yesterday and today.