Here is a very angry but insightful article about the TV/Film industry. It is a depressing read, especially if you are already in the industry or even worse, about to enter the industry. I do not agree with everything that's being said. Especially on local films. Mentorship is a privilege, not every filmmaker is obligated to mentor, especially if they themselves are already struggling financially (oops , this makes it more depressing ain't it?) My personal take is not that there is no money but the 'cheaper, better, faster' motto among production houses and the 2 big media conglomerates needs to change. Here are some excerpts form the article.
On cameramen and crew ...So you have a producer (who is already busy enough) wasting their time shooting an e-mail to a DOP with scripts and storyboards attached and then having them show up on set, asking the producer or director, “Eh, what is this scene about?”....
On local production houses ...Lately, the ugly picture is that many of the owners of such places play a dirty game of squeezing everyone they hire to get a show out on-air and keep the rest of the money in a fixed security deposit or invested in a new condo and/or luxurious car....
On censorhsip (I like this one) ...Our fear of showing what’s real about Singapore or dealing with sensitive issues in documentaries or films is costing us a lot. It’s costing us talent that decide to quit the industry early because there is no long-term development or support in terms of subjects filmakers/TV producers are allowed to portray....
On having to pay foreign experts to say the same things that we could say ...They are also bogged down by the Asian mentality that one must not challenge the ideas or visions of someone sitting at the top. There is no one with ground level experience to fight the powers or expand on their thinking unless it’s some unbelievably highly paid consultant from the US or the UK who has been specially flown down to our shores to suddenly miraculously open the minds of these high-ranking incumbents, at the taxpayer’s expense....
And no amount of money or seminars can help us unless we cleanse the industry of incumbents who really do not know what media is about. It is also useless to call upon the expertise of consultants from developed countries whose intrinsic cultures are based on democracy, freedom of speech and thought that allows for such highly sophisticated modes of creativity...
Director of 'HERE' Ho Tzu Nyen at the Kinokunya DVD launch.... trying to remember if he had put the cross correctly on polling day.
As the earlier DVD launch of 'Old Places' concluded...Ho Tzu Nyen's wasted no time in kicking the introduction of 'HERE', to a much more 'concentrated' crowd
Tzu Nyen introduces John, Lead Actor of HERE, in the sharing session.
A family reunion of HERE in Singapore, after a year of travelling around the world.
Tzu Nyen shares his plans in the coming months
You may want to check out our interview earlier Here and our review here
At the recent Singapore Short Film Awards, the jury decided not to give out a prize for Best Experimental film because all the nominees did not redefine or reinvent the way they presented a film. This begs the question of what is meant by reinventing the film genre or the way film is typically made. I am looking at the 4 short films (I have not watched 'Mickey') and wondering if the judges' decision were justified. 'Peep' by Wesley Leon Aroozoo diminishes the mise-en-scene into the size of a peep-hole, making its point experientially. 'Void Deck' by Azhar Shukor splits the screen into columns and plays with transmission of actions between frames. 'Aemaer' by Loo Zihan and 'Flux' by Nigel Heng both play with forms and aesthetics, though within a conventional frame.
This Thursday night, I attended the world premiere of 'Eternity' and found the voiding of the Best Experimental Film Award quite uncalled for. There were films that discernibly pushed the boundaries of form and there were films that were just expressionistic within the conventional boundaries. My conclusion, anything that thwarts the framework of a scripted production that abides by the rule of how time, space, characters are typically presented can be considered experimental. With this, rather than plainly commenting on each of the 13 pieces in 'Eternity', I would like to dissect some of the works and ponder over how those works sought to experiment.
It can be both difficult and easy to miss Victric's sunset piece which literally documents a sunset without the use of time lapse. Through a simple exercise, it raises questions about the authenticity of film and the moving image and how time is often manipulated and shaped to drive the narrative. An action that takes 10 min can be condensed into 30 secs through the conventions of editing. Enigmatic and unapologetic, my attention fought with it through its duration and I must say ultimately, it makes it point quite nicely.
The rest of the set is broadly eclectic, though mostly well curated. Some have more of an agenda while others seek to just titillate. Ezzam Rahman's piece stands out from the rest for being unrestrained and not afraid to look like B-grade animation. Animation it is not, more like puppetry! A horde of Kens (as in Barbie's beau)is used to play homoerotic voyeurism. The dolls, given their limited limb trajectories, are engaged in sexual intimacy that looks endearing comical, while eerie at the same time. One might also begin to wonder if Ezzam's borrowed the the bedroom connotation of experimentation in trying to meet the genre.
Loo Zihan's account of a sexual encounter could be seen as the other ode to voyeurism and a much more pointed and deliberated piece. Against a blurred moving visual background and a triangle of numbers, Loo recounts an incident where he met a college professor and they decided to go on a mutual sexual exploration. The real exploration is actually on Loo in which he plays 'money boy' and explores the psyche behind 'commodifying' oneself. While disturbing, it is also gratifying (inevitably so) in the way it unleashes lurid details of the transaction between the 2 parties.
Much of the rest of the omnibus remained in my memory as a mish-mash of blurred landscapes and blotches of light, almost like a dream you could not remember. In that realm of darkness, there are occasional lucid manifestations of familiar and not so familiar things. But they all come and go, serving to titillate more than resonate. 'Where is the purpose in experimental filmmaking?' I occasionally asked myself while checking the progress of Victric's sunset. The beauty of it simply has to be in the process, the act of dismantling, re-orientating and reconnecting back the parts, in which the end result may not always satisfy or have a sense of closure. This is very much the filmmaker's own journey and it serves to feed his/her amusement and epiphanies probably as much as the audience's.
But there was one piece I was moderately entertained by - one with over-sized candles on a birthday cake. Ang Soo Koon, a Singaporean visual artist based in Berlin Germany, plants candles 'shaped like numbers' on a birthday cake as a vintage 'counting' song plays like it came from a gramaphone. The song is alluringly odd, like the piece itself, pandering to our familiarity with the birthday occasion and yet warping it with mildly anarchic visual suggestions. As seen in Soo Koon's 'Mosquitoes' and 'Xiao Fu', we are like taking a curious and slightly-twisted adult peek into a child's world. In this instance, it is one that has fed on the familiar and almost universal world of Sesame Street, as suggested by the number counting. But don't forget, some adults just can't get enough of it too.
In a nutshell: Trying to accomplish too much in too short a time and ending up not providing much of a resolution, the film contemplates the touché delicateness of inter-religious relationships in modern-day Singapore in both familial and romantic forms.
Ice Cream Man (G / 11 mins)
Director: Kelvin Ke
In a nutshell: Sometimes a story, when told as it is without unnecessary plot twists and turns, is most effective. Ice Cream Man, a biographical tribute to the director’s late grandfather, is all that and more. Rather than over-dramatising into a sob story, the moving eulogy successfully highlights the eccentricities of old age in a tongue-in-cheek characterization that is, well, just like any one of our grandfathers. It is the little things that matters.
Ameen (NC16 / 15 mins)
Director: Sanif Olek
In a nutshell: A Malay film set in a holy mosque that contradictorily touches on taboo issues like theft and pedophilia—how a school girl would “look hotter without her tudung” and the obsessive-compulsive urge for marriage. The lead actor is pretty convincing in his mentally-estranged character. On another note, the past tense of seek is sought not seeked as in the subtitles.
SINdie will be saluting Singapore this August by presenting a fun and outrageous National Day music video like no other. Expect army boys, Filipino maids, politicians and lots of flesh in this video! We are now looking for people who would like to be involved as cast, crew or to donate to help fund this video because MDA see already sure 'peng' (faint), so we need to raise money to fund this.
If you would like to get involved or donate, please send SINdie an email at sindieonly@gmail.com or call us at 91870187. Donations of all amounts are welcome, whether it is $2 or $200. We will acknowledge you in the closing credits and all publicity materials on the video.
When the Nation cast its vote last Saturday,
I decided to drop by to Book Kinokuniya Orchard for the “OLD PLACES" and "HERE” DVD launch
Here are the snapshots
Radio 1003 Deejay Jian Wen making introduction of Old Places
Royston introduced themselves(Eva,Victric) as 粉红党 as the Pink Gang,partly because the launch date coincideds with the General Elections in Singapore.
The creators speak about their adventures.
Old Places' DOP, Lim Teck Siang, shares the story of the rising dragon in Whampoa,as contributed by his Dad.
Does anyone recall the Medicated Oil Jingle?
Minutes before the events concluded,The DVD has been SOLD OUT!
Fangirls from Royston's FC,showing their support to Royston...
(They were camera shy,and afraid of "Media" till Royston said that those with cameras are only his friends)
If you have missed this event last saturday...FRET NOT!
You can grab your copies and get them sign on:
Tuesday, 10th May 2011(TODAY!)
at BooksActually
(No. 9 Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru. Singapore 168645)
The 13th Edition of Very Short International Film Festival has been concluded. Here are the winners(and congratulations!)
Very Short International Film Festival 2011Grand Prix Award Red, Nur Aisyah Suhaimi Very Short International Film Festival 2011 Originality Award Hush Baby, Tan Wei Keong
Singapore Arts Festival 2011“I Want to Remember” Award Flats, Ervin Ann
Health Promotion Board “Breathe” Award A Big Night Out, Daniel Stevenson
13-year old Amos Yee won The New Paper First Film Fest competition. He beat numerous entries by older 'kor kors' and 'jeh jehs' (colloquial term for older brothers and sisters). We caught up with him to know more about his 'award-winning piece' - Jan.
Speaking about your film, what’s Jan in a nutshell?
Jan is a little story based loosely on cancer as an aspect to make all the funny jokes and comedy.
What’s the big idea behind Jan?
Jan is jumbled pack of jokes, comedy, and a rambunctious climatic ending. It is a film that expresses creativity and pushes the limit to how much jokes you can merge into a single video. Jan was created as a way to let all my imagination come out and a journal for all the jokes that I have inside my mind.
How did the film come together from pre-production to post production? Did you have any help from your parents?
The film was filmed with a $90 camera, a cheap tripod and edited with a free video editing software called Pinnacle Videospin. The props were all the stuff in my house that I had. So basically I had a $0 dollar budget. I typed the script Jan on microsoft word with a few jokes already planned out in my head like the ukulele scene. As I was typing it, I soon added more jokes like the the scene where I said "JAM!!" and the ending when I sang with dramatic acuity. Once I wrote the whole script, I looked at it and added a bit more clever dialogue and a few more jokes before it was finally completed. Because I had school, there were a few days of my week that I was not free. So, I did all the filming and editing and script-writing at 1 hour-intervals at the days when I am free. I started at saturday and ended at next Friday taking about 6 hours to complete the whole film. I took 1 hour to write the script, 2 hours to film and 3 hours to edit. Because there was a 3 minute time limit, I was able to cut off all the unnecessary parts that wasn't needed and make the video even more exciting. At around 11pm on Friday, I posted my video on Youtube. No help from parents at all.
What were the challenges you’ve met along the way? How did you overcome them? The true beauty of the video "Jan" was that there were not challenges that I faced, it was just a 12-year old boy making a fun film for fun. Honest and humorous.
Is this your first time making a film? If so/not, how has this experience impacted you? This wasn't the first time making my film, in fact I have made dozens of vlogs and skits on my Youtube account before that. I self-learnt all the filming and editing by myself by mingling with all the icons in the editing software and the buttons of the camera. Unfortunately, all the videos can't be seen because I went a bit too far by posting an offenive video about racism in Singapore. My school's disciplinary master then ordered me to delete all my videos from Youtube and prohibited me to make any more videos in the future. So I deleted all my videos but as soon as I heard about the competition, I had to attend it. So I sneakily made the video Jan which was not right. And the rest is history.
Will you continue filmmaking? Or perhaps you have something else in mind?
Well I recently made a video called Yvette which was a sequel to Jan. I feel that it wasn't as exciting and was a bit boring as there was no time limit to follow, and the jokes weren't that compelling. The video was just to satisfy the reports that there was going to be a sequel to Jan called "Yvette". However, I have dozens of video ideas, too much to comprehend actually that I haven't pen down yet. I am going to start making more videos at June when my exams are over, and hopefully make a profit from the videos that I posted in Youtube. I look forward to it.
Any plans to make a new film after Jan? Like I said, I made a video called "Yvette" already and it's currently on Youtube. You should watch it and comment on what you think.
Jan not only bagged the Top prize and as well as Best Actor over at the TNP First Film Fest.
It is cooling day when no more rallies can be held. But political expression is still be rampant everywhere, except that we retreat to soft-selling for a day. SINdie serves up a softer version of political rhetoric today, something that grew out of the last 5 years since GE 2006. You see, long before the torrent of angry citizen journalism surfaced in the recent weeks running up to the 7 May voting day, many of our artists and filmmakers have been playing a crucial role in offering commentary. Chee Soon Juan, once demonised by the mainstream media, was put under a fairer spotlight under the hands of filmmaker Martyn See in the film Singapore Rebel. The power of film, unlike a political rally, is more sublime and potentially deeper. I found my 'political awakening' through Singapore Rebel. You might find this following list of films (made during the last electoral term) capable of doing the same. Here is my Top 12, in ascending order.
12.Invisible Children (2008, Brian Gothong Tan) A brash, irreverent and poetically playful collage of stories about people in Singapore who run away and disappear forever. Two children run away from home and discover an ancient underground network of monsoon drains, tunnels and caves. An army officer obsessed with order and discipline realises that life isnít so black and white. A painfully shy man reluctantly saves his neighbour and experiences a spiritual awakening. Concocted from a heady mix of realism and poetic fantasy, Invisible Children is sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but always thought-provoking.
Singapore is protrayed as a sterile place in which white features prominently in the colour palette of the film. Despite having many angry characters like the abusive mother, the boss of the law firm, the lieutenant caught in a dilemma between staying on and leaving, it is not an angry film and it is in fact quite composed in its portrayal of oppression in Singapore. It does its job of reminding us of how constricted we are but the thought of escaping, especially into a canal, is lost on me. Almost too conveninent a way to escape. However, this trailer gives useful tips on how to deal with oppression and bullying the next time you face one. I love our national icon, the Merlion, you can sleep with it and you can also defend yourself with it!
11.Keluar Baris (2008, Boo Junfeng) A short film by Boo Junfeng about a boy who returns from his studies in Europe, two days before he is enlisted into the army. A sensitive depiction of an 18-year-old's struggle between national duties and personal liberty.
Boo Junfeng gets sensitive in this piece about a young man's pre-enlistment thoughts. For most boys these days, a film like this presents an anomalous thought, for most of us just want to party away what's left of our long-haired, responsibility-free teenage-hood before we face national service. Of course, we must not forget this guy just came back from Spain where his soul was liberated and he saw the value of preserving national monuments (like the National Stadium). For a borderline Gen-Xer like me (born in 1977), my thought when I first saw the film was - is this how Gen-Yers feel about national service? From the election chatter, we are only at the cusps of exploring the possibility of cutting down the NS term. I feel this film, though alienating at some points, will find increasing relevance as more people begin to question defence spending. By the way, it says 'Leprechaun Pictures presents' at the beginning of the trailer, is there something political in this too?
10.Tanjong Rhu (2008, Boo Junfeng) A former military officer seeks closure by making a documentary film about a man whom he had furtively encountered in Tanjong Rhu many years ago. Tanjong Rhu is a secluded beach on the east coast of Singapore, and a popular cruising ground for gay men. In an entrapment exercise in 1993, 12 men were arrested there and sentenced to imprisonment and caning. This is a fictionalised account of what has happened since then to one of these men.
This film HAS a gay agenda, and a thoughtful and eloquently presented one. Despite its importance in raising questions about tolerance in our society, MDA did not fund the film, unlike Boo's other films. I wonder if they saw the film's title 'Tanjong Rhu (The Casuarina Cove)' and wrongly forwarded the proposal to Mah Bow Tan.
9.The Olive Depression (2008, Joshua Lim)
The Olive Depression documents the weeks before a teenage boy enters military service He is determined not to mentally accept what is required of him by law. He opts to prepare himself by maintaining his melancholy about something against what it means to be human. However, seeing the depression of his best friend who enters the army before him and the worry of his parents lead him to question his principles. As he strives not to succumb to the government's world view, he finds it increasingly difficult to be contented and sad at the same time.
This is Keluar Baris extended without the Spanish influence. It even has that similar contemplative bus-ride scene. However, it is more didactic and 'drone-some' than the sublime Keluar Baris but equally biting when it needed to be. It is gutsy in the way it directly questions National service. Towards the end of the film at the point of enlistment, his mother leaves him with a note of advice - 'If you have any opinion, just keep it to yourself'. Boy, are we glad it's 2011!
8.Just Follow Law (2007, Jack Neo) In the film, a blue-collar technician and the events and promotion department director swap souls after a freak accident at a fictional government agency Work Allocation Singapore (WAS). It presents a satirical look at the inflexibility of outdated governmental rules and regulations and the rigid mindsets of local civil servants who go strictly by the book.
Want to order aircon? Must write in and it takes 3 working days. Ordering fans a bit easier, 2 working days. lol! Jack Neo, when he is at his best, is really quite ball of wit. I personally found this comedy (strangely released during Chinese New Year) effective at 2 levels. For stability-loving civil servants, this is funny without trying to be too anti-estblishment. But for more discerning viewers, the film plants a few fleeting yet biting shots at the system. Just like how the trailer starts : 'This is a story about 2 civil servants' and we see the portrait of President SR Nathan and his wife. They omitted the phrase 'highly paid'.
7.Speakers Cornered (2006, Martyn See)
While previous IMF-World Bank meetings have been marked with protests, the only country in which this has not happened because of the ban on public protest is Singapore. This film is a recording of the only public protest held in Singapore during the IMF-World Bank meeting in 2006.
Policemen well-trained from previous National Day Parades put their experience to good use in various formations of human walls. Makes you want to test the sturdiniess of these walls with a bulldozer doesn't it?
6.Invisible City (2007, Tan Pin Pin)
Invisible City is a documentary about documenteurs. The director interviews photographers, journalists, archaeologists, people propelled by curiosity to find a City for themselves. The documentary conveys how deeply personal their search is and how fragile histories are, hanging on only through their memories and artefacts. Interwoven with the interviews is never seen before footage and photos of the City culled from their private archives. In Invisible City, you witness the atrophy of memory, you see a City that could have been.
Pin Pin asks Dr Ivan Pulonin 'Can I ask you?' Dr Pulonin answers 'You can ask me, but whether you get an answer is another matter. And whether you get a satisfactory answer is very much another matter.' Pin Pin gets people to face the questions and answer them in this documentary. We need you around in parliment Pin Pin.
5.The Blue Mansion (2009, Glen Goei) The Blue Mansion is a quirky murder mystery about a wealthy tycoon who dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances. He returns as a ghost to try to uncover the secret of his death with the help of his family and the police.
Though this film is no meant to 'play up emotions', it actually makes a very BIG statement about Singapore. It has patriach who controls a BUSINESS and rules the family with a iron fist. He has 2 sons and a daughter. The elder son is expected to succeed the father in the family pineapple business, yet he is the more reluctant one than the other who was hungry for the position was less favoured by the father. Within the resplendent 2-storey Peranakan mansion, the demise of the first wife of the elder son is swept underneath the carpet, and she is succeeded by a bulkier, rather malevolent-looking woman who literally 'wears the pants' in the family. Naturally, she controls the finances too! You get the picture?
By the way, this film is ahead of its time, cos I forgot to mention the pineapple king was already dead at the beginning of the story and only existed as a ghost.
4.Singapore Dreaming (2006, Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen) This is a story about a family with big dreams, living on a small island. Heavily in debt, patriarch Loh Poh Huat can’t help but feel bitter irony whenever he has to perform his job as a lawyer’s clerk – seizing goods from the homes of credit card debtors. At the end of his career and frustrated by the gulf between his middle class dreams and his working class reality, he takes his feelings of failure and envy out on his family . So when Poh Huat suddenly wins two million dollars in the lottery, the Lohs start believing that maybe this windfall will deliver them from their struggles. But something happens which pitches the family into a battle where the stakes are the very meaning of life itself…
Don't play play! This film endorsed by our President S R Nathan! But then ah, after watching this, he collect his pay check not pai seh ah?
Favourite line from the movie: '5Cs - cash, credit card, car, condo, country club...... have you heard of the 6Cs? The last one stands for coffin.'
3.Sandcastle (2010, Boo Junfeng) A gentle and affectionate study of the themes of identity, history and memory, Boo Junfeng’s debut feature Sandcastle is a loving portrait of a young man coming to terms with the lives of his parents and his grandparents, while trying to make sense of Singapore troubled history.
This film makes you think about the future by dealing with the past. Some people've called it one of the most important films in Singapore's history. There is certainly something in this film for every type of concern - national identity, immigration, education, national service, the elderly, and healthcare. In fact, Khaw Boon Wan, ex-health minister should watch this film to learn more about retiring in Johor.
2.Money No Enough 2 (2008, Jack Neo) 3 brothers living in Singapore, each leading a different lifestyle. There is gamble in each of their lives. One gambles with property, the second gets into pyramid selling, the third gambles with ignorance and simply following blindly. The underlying motivation behind all these - cos money is not enough. But as tragedy unfolds later in the story, they discover the deeper meanings in life.
Again, Jack Neo is ahead of his time. This is the quintessential GE (General Elections)2011 film. Elderly with little savings, alarming medical costs, escalating property prices, the F1 race (as a proxy for YOG), what's missing is Mas Selemat though.
1.Singapore Rebel (2007, Martyn See) This is the film Singapore's censorship board doesn't want people to see. It's the story of opposition politician Chee Soon Juan, who has been imprisoned twice for championing democratic change in the city state. The censors declared it a "party political film" and it was pulled from April 2005's Singapore International Film Festival line-up after the director was warned he could face two years in jail if the screening went ahead.
The video speaks for itself. One year after I have watched this video, Dr Chee sent me a request to add him on facebook. I added him and told my friends who then said in return that I should not have done so because he was 'incompetent'. Such was the extent to which he had been demonished by the media. Looking back, I am grateful to have the company of filmmakers who spoke up for the truth long before the torrent of citizen voices surfaced during this GE.
As the hours pass and we drawer closer to casting our votes, if you care about your future, want to say something but 'don't know what to say', pick a video from the list that best represents what you feel and do the people who made these films a favour, PASS IT ON.
'Red Dragonflies' opened amidst the election fever in Singapore and seemed visually to coincide with the theme of 'reclaiming Singapore' pretty well. After all, the film presented glimpses of things we left behind, working seniors (working hard in the kitchen that is!) and extended views of the National Junior College P.E. attire which is as red as the Singapore Democratic Party. Playing to a warm and friendly crowd consisting of cast and crew, here are some snapshots from the event.
Cast and crew amassed for a shot
Young stars want a piece of the limelight too
Filmmakers Green Zeng and June Chua (director of 'Red Dragonflies' Liao Jiekai in the centre) prove that you sometimes need to suffer for your art.
Well-known Suria TV director Sanif Olek shares a picture with Chew Tee Pao from the Asian Film Archive
Veteran TV face Chen Meiguang tells of us that time flies, we have all aged. She is happy to see the film after one-year of Singapore playing 'hard-to-get' with the film.
Singapore Premiere of 'Red Dragonflies' at the Southeast Asian Film Festival at 8Q@SAM.
Fanboys from SINdie - Darren (with white headphones) and Jeremy (white shirt with specs) wait for their free posters!
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Jeonju International Film Festival 2010, Red Dragonflies is a Singapore film about friendship, passing youth and Singapore's disappearing history.
Read SINdie's review of 'Red Dragonflies' by Raymond Tan here.
This is Lui Tuck Yew, who last held the position the of Minister for Information, Communications and errrr.... the Arts. A lot has been written about him in the recent run-up to the elections. On the back of this, SINdie would like to do a mini-survey here:
1. Do you want him to continue as the Minister for Infomation, Communications and Arts?
2. Who do you think is the best candidate for this post? (not restricted to GE 2011 candidates)
In a nutshell: A clever film about a lonely man coping with grief over his deceased wife, and a stranger who secretly partakes in his daily life. Reality or chimera, the widower is mindf***ed, and the audience too, over its mindboggling omission from any nomination in this Short Film Awards. Mind you, this film made it to the official selection in Venice. A mean feat by any benchmark.
Dream Home (PG / 16 mins)
Director: Arasu
In a nutshell: This Housing Development Board Housing A Nation tribute is, for lack of a better description, very Channel 8. Condominium dreams, a handicapped mother, and in the middle of it all, family squabbles. Need I say more? Even the happy occasion at the end had to be melodramatic.
Safety Zone (PG / 7 mins)
Director: Eileen Loh
In a nutshell: A Final Destination-esque film that, despite the title, proffers the notion that death is everywhere no matter how one seeks a ‘safety zone’. Media-propagated fears lead one man into solitude where death eventually catches up in a twist that can be seen from miles away.
Dear Grace (PG / 7 mins)
Director: Harman Omar In a nutshell: If I’d like to hear a sermon, I’d go to church. Or to Adam Khoo. Too much preaching and “what-ifs” or “what-nots” dialogue makes for a soppy drama that is more difficult to sit through than a soap opera.
The Cover (TBA / 5 mins)
Director: Sam G
In a nutshell: An anti-HIV campaign message told through 3D animation and uses a fountain pen as an analogy of functionality and otherwise. But in a surprising ending, the inflicted pen was easily chucked away and replaced. Does this imply HIV sufferers should be accorded the same treatment?
Gincu (Lipstick) (PG / 3 mins)
Director: Agnes Christina
In a nutshell: The second short film by Agnes Christina is tightly-paced, a coming-of-age film of a secret closet crossdresser whose sexual orientation is questionable. But maybe it is time to come out, the army symbolism with the shaved head an indication of manhood, forced or otherwise.
The Bird That Shakes The Jute Fields (TBA / 2 mins)
Director: Liew Shi Xiong
Nominated For:
Best Documentary
Two minutes. Barely enough time to tell a short story, let alone a documentary where the reality of the background and setting of the subject becomes all the more important. But Liew, a recent Communications Studies graduate from NTU and a recipient of the MDA’s Media Education Scheme in 2008 managed to achieve that in The Bird That Shakes The Juke Fields.
The insightful retrospective piece paints a surprising serenity within Dhaka, Bangladesh, set against the chirpy tune of a popular Bengali folk song. The widely-perceived chaotic nature of a bustling Central Asian capital is cast aside in favour of denizens, singled out for their hardships and struggles.
And yes, plaudits must be given to the clever title, jute being a native plant of Bangladesh, the rough fibre testament to the battle-hardened nature of the Bangladeshi proletariat.
