In parts of Asia each year, during the seventh lunar month, it is believed that the gates of
Hell are opened and all the souls are set free to wander the
Earth. At this time, many spirits roam around trying to fulfill their past needs, wants and desires. These are the "
hungry ghosts". Numerous religious rituals and folk performances, like street operas, take place during the seventh lunar month to try to appease the spirits. This film captures the seventh-lunar-month rituals in Singapore, a world-class centre of business and culture inhabited by many different immigrants from other Asian countries. While the hungry-ghost rituals originated in China and are still practised throughout
South-east Asia in various forms, they are slowly dying out in many countries or may only be performed for several days of the month. Singapore is unique in that the rituals are brought to life throughout the entire seventh lunar month. At the same time, the immigrants in Singapore have brought their own native rituals to the small island nation where the hungry-ghost month still thrives.
A Month of Hungry Ghosts captures these rituals and performances throughout an entire seventh lunar month in Singapore. ==Production==