KOREA FOUNDATION

Chicken Rice War(2000)

· Director: Chee Kong Cheah / Singapore 

Chicken Rice War, a Singaporean romantic comedy film, retells the story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet through one of the staples of traditional Singaporean cuisine – chicken fried rice. The Wong and Chan families have spent the last 20 years at odds with one another as they run their chicken fried rice eateries within the same local community, side by side. One day, the Wong family’s son and the Chan family’s daughter end up having to co-perform in their school’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet, where they eventually fall in love with one another, sparking conflict between the two households. However, rather than repeating the tragic climax of Romeo and Juliet, Chicken Rice War emphasizes the power of love and life while brimming with the raw, positive energy of commercial Singaporean films.