Corpse in the Freezer: Singapore Dark Comedy 'Build to Order' Hunts Finishing Funds at TCCF

Singaporean director Huang Junxiang's debut feature "Build to Order," a dark comedy in which a young couple who sell photos of the wife's feet online end up with a corpse in their freezer, is being pitched this week at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in Taipei, with the team seeking gap financing to complete post-production.

The film is now in post-production, and Huang says finishing it has his full attention. TCCF, organized by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), runs Nov. 6–9 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

What is the story?

Penny and Allan, a young Singaporean couple, both work in real estate. They married young so they could qualify for a public housing flat, but climbing property prices still leave them strapped. To bring in extra money, they put photos of Penny's feet up for sale online. A rich client with a foot fetish then offers them a staggering amount for the chance to suck her toes face to face, and they say yes.

The meeting goes badly wrong. The client suffers an allergic reaction, Allan's amateur attempt at first aid fails, and the man dies. In a panic, the couple stash him in their freezer. Months later, his widow — who has no idea what happened — taps them to list her luxury mansion, drawing the pair deeper into greed and guilt as they scramble to save themselves.

Why housing, not just homicide?

The premise, according to Huang, grew out of Singapore's property market and the pressure it puts on personal decisions.

"When I was looking to buy my first home in Singapore, every property agent I met warned me that making the wrong decision would cost me financially in the long haul," Huang says. "They said that I can't make an emotional decision, I needed to make a logical one. In an expensive society like Singapore, I feel that many decisions are made rationally, at the cost of our identities and our relationships."

He frames the film's ambition plainly: "I hope our audiences will be entertained by this dark comedy with genre moments and think a little more about the choices they make and the lives they want to lead."

Producer Macarius Chia says the film deals with a subject that resonates around the world — housing prices and what it costs to get by. "We were also entertained by the humorous script which takes the story in a few surprising directions, without losing sight of the character's journey," he says.

What does the team want in Taipei?

The delegation is chasing three things at TCCF:

• gap financing to finish post-production;
• partners for audio post and color grading;
• an international sales agent.

Chia says they hope to find "a like-minded international sales agent who believes in the project as the story is accessible."

Executive producer Lim Teck says he believes in Huang's vision and that the film could become a breakout hit out of Singapore, "where housing and climbing the social ladder are always such hot topics." Lim adds that the film is reasonably budgeted and has commercial potential. No budget figure, cast list or delivery date has been disclosed.

For Lim, TCCF is also a chance to introduce the project to contacts across Asia's film industry. "We believe our film has a chance to travel and do well in various Asian markets," he says.

What does this change for the project?

A sales deal or closing of the financing gap in Taipei would move "Build to Order" from a promising market title toward a finished film with distribution — but until post-production partners sign on, the freezer stays shut, and the film's route to audiences remains unconfirmed.