You must have seen one of these people walking in your midst. Those who, well, what do we call them – weirdos? In this confusing day and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine what constitutes normal behaviour. What about filmmakers who tell stories about people who do not fit in snugly into the crowd? Are they, err, normal? Through Viknesh Kobinathan’s Edmund (2011) and Wendy Chee’s Mandy’s 8 Theories of Sleep (2010), we get an insight on what goes on in the minds of two, hmm, weird individuals, and are left to interpret whether the filmmakers are as odd as their subjects.
Kobinathan, a self-proclaimed full time bum, has chosen a lanky and rather likeable lad as the protagonist of his film. Edmund (we can’t decipher his nationality though) likes walking around with his Longman dictionary, and everything in his life can be described word for word, thanks to the definitions in his non-living companion. The six-minute film shows how this peculiar behaviour can actually lead to the discovery of true love.
It is evident from the production values of this film that Kobinathan is a student filmmaker. While it doesn’t help that this reviewer was from the same school he studies at (all the locations in the film are familiar spots this reviewer used to shoot his productions), the film could have benefited from stronger performances from the cast members. The protagonist’s delivery of an awkward character is acceptably average, but the same can’t be said about the supporting roles.
There is a potentially affecting story in here. Who isn’t a fan of an underdog overcoming all odds and living happily ever after with his true love? Kobinathan has managed to paint a personality which is quirkily adorable [Marc Webb’s romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer comes to mind], and with better production values (read: higher budget), we are sure his next piece of work will be one worth looking forward to.
And if there is one thing that will never go wrong in film production, it is the use of cute kids. Chee knows this rule well, and has chosen two very endearing children to star in her film. As the title suggests, the protagonist Mandy is a girl who enjoys sleeping. She has the task of convincing her friend (a boy, of course) that sleeping is the best thing that can happen to him.
The 18-minute production is a delight to watch, not just because of the natural performances of its lead characters, but also its charming art direction. The story allows the filmmaker to stretch her imagination and conjure sets which will leave its viewers smiling. The dream-like sequences will remind you of the wondrous adventures you had (in your mind) when you were a kid. Watch out for a hilarious scene where the kids encounter Z monsters.
Chee’s film is proof that with the right amount of creativity and storytelling skills, anything is possible. Trust us, even the end credits are a joy to watch.
The 3rd Singapore Short Film Awards (SSFA) takes place at The Substation Theatre from 5-11 March. For more information, click here
Watch this space for other short films reviews from the SSFA!
I went into the screening of Dance Dance Dragon right after having watched We Not Naughty, so you could say that my mood upon entering the cinema was more than a little foul, annoyed at forking out money to catch the latter (to write my review), which was the cinematic equivalent of being bludgeoned to death by a club. So it came as a surprise that I actually quite enjoyed Dance Dance Dragon. It had occasional clever touches, though it was also sporadically annoying – especially at the parts when Aunty Lucy (Dennis Chew) does his spasmodic head movements.
Like We Not Naughty, Dance Dance Dragon is also a Chinese New Year offering, which, in the local context, seems to necessitate a rigidly formulaic approach to filmmaking. In this genre, characters always go through some sort of pseudo conflict before inevitably receiving an unauthentic epiphany about the Great, Unquestionable, Importance of Family. Family members inevitably receive reconciliation at the end; and in the Chinese New Year subgenre of movies, the family is god – no obstacle can stop members of the protagonists’ family from coming together and living happily ever after. Fun, laughter, and happy endings – all these revolving around relationships within families - are the name of the game in such a genre.
If such mawkishness is totally objectionable to you, then watching a Chinese New Year offering (also called a ‘He Sui Pian’) will almost always be a painful affair. I am myself not the biggest fan of such puerile sentimentality and persistent simple-mindedness, but I’ve come to accept the limitations of a Chinese New Year film - if Chinese New Year is a time for relatives to come together, then isn’t it only expected for a Chinese New Year film to exalt and celebrate the family? Having such a singular sensibility is the constraint of the Chinese New Year film, and if you are willing to make peace with it, then you may actually wind up liking Dance Dance Dragon. The key is in the execution, not the plot; if you already know what’s going to happen in the end (i.e. the family reconciles, all obstacles are overcome), the journey towards it better be one helluva ride. And at parts, Dance Dance Dragon does show genuine imagination and spunk.
Since it’s the year of the Dragon, the most auspicious year in the Chinese Zodiac, it makes perfect commercial sense to cash in on Chinese superstition by revolving the film’s plot around a dragon baby. A flashback opens the film, with Mother Loong (Lai Ming) - the matriarch of a family who owns a lion dance troupe - in labour, giving birth to her third child, and only son, whom she was intending to deliver during the dragon year , but alas, misses the mark by a couple of hours. (Children born during the year of the Dragon are supposed to be blessed, according to Chinese superstition.) Never losing the desire for a dragon baby to take over the family’s lion dance business, she pins her hopes on her three children to bear her one. Her optimism flags as the years go by, with her two daughters, Lucy (Dennis Chew in drag, reprising his popular TV character) and Ah Bee (Kym Ng) having little luck in their romantic lives. Lucy got dumped by her Indian boyfriend for her frumpiness; Ah Bee can’t score a date because of her intimidating and hard-edged demeanour.
Her youngest son, Ah Long (Melvin Sia), seems to be her only ray of hope, seeing as he is married, and while on the way back from Malaysia (where he is residing) to visit his family, he buys a basket of fruit. Unbeknownst to him, cosmic intervention has taken place, and the Powers that Be have magically placed a dragon baby in the basket he was carrying. Lucy, Ah Bee and Ah Long were all stunned upon the discovery of the baby, but decide to dupe their mom into thinking that is Ah Long’s real son – their family’s long awaited dragon baby – for the sake of appeasing her.
You’re not going to get anything new by way of character here. Every character is but a caricature; none of them are fully-formed or go through any worthwhile struggle or self discovery. Aunty Lucy is particularly grating, and including him in the film likely stems from a mercenary impulse – being a popular and familiar household figure, he would boost the film’s box office prospects. The gags are mostly hit-and-miss; some delight, while some are downright banal and uninspired. The film also veers into racist territory by including a stock Indian character as Lucy’s ex-boyfriend (an implausible pairing, considering how different both of them are), who appears in one scene just to play up every single Indian stereotype in the book.
The actors put in decent performances to their one-dimensional characters, and the comic chemistry between the cast buoys the film a little. Adrian Pang in particular is the right balance of hammy and serious as a Westernized chef with a gambling problem. The cast’s comedic background is evident as they deliver the occasionally snappy dialogue with much punch. A pity then, that the screenplay gives them little work with.
And yet, the film still remains a joyous and exuberant celebration of tradition, while simultaneously espousing the importance of newness and change. The dragon baby that was magically conferred by the gods (played by a bunch of kids, perhaps to increase the cutesy quotient) is the central metaphor in the movie. He represents the new (being a new life), and yet his worth is tied to superstition and traditional beliefs; he is valuable insofar as he is a symbol of good fortune, being born in the year of the Dragon. The film concerns itself with the tension between the contemporary and the traditional. The film acknowledges the importance of modernity and change, but stresses that such change must not come at the expense of heritage, and this theme runs throughout it.
One example of this is in the film’s ostensibly manga-inspired visual interludes, mostly during showdowns featuring the two rival lion dance troupes. They are spirited attempts by director Kat Goh to liven up the proceedings, and they tap into the popularity of the manga in what is Goh’s effort to create a more punkish aesthetic to appeal to younger people. At the same time, those images steep themselves in Chinese mythology and iconography; they are at once contemporary and reverent of tradition. But attempts to modernize by compromising on tradition are punished in the film. Teck’s (Bryan Wong) lion dance troupe, that has substituted standard Chinese musical instruments for sleek audio equipment, is made a mockery of at the end. Eric, who started off the film as a chef who could only serve up Western cuisine and not delicacies belonging to his own culture, is shown to be a washed-up, pathetic, gambling addict; as he progresses along in the film, he clears up his act, and by the end of the film he cooks up reunion dinner for a huge gathering. Aunty Lucy, who in her enduring ambition to be a dancer, joins a young dance group, and discards her traditional garments for a more in-the-times outfit for a dance competition; she gets humiliated as a result.
The film may not be a groundbreaking local work, but it is funny and enjoyable at times. It also articulates its points quite smartly, and unlike We Not Naughty, doesn’t browbeat you into buying into some lofty moral. Which, I think, is enough to make it a decent ‘He Sui Pian’ for the family to enjoy.
SINdie collaborated with Lomography on a contest to shoot Lomokino films on the latest Lomokino camera. Check out our previous post on what this contest was about. The shortlisted teams were then invited to a casual workshop conducted by local filmmaker Michael Tay. Michael took them on a journey through his filmmaking foray and shed some light on what short films are and should be. Here are the snapshots from the workshop on 8 Jan at the Singapore Lomography flagship store at South Bridge Road.
All good lessons begin with a good question, even if it's a simple question.
Michael's self-introduction to the young crowd
'Everything here is on sale, including me, if you can afford to pay'
'By the way, just in case you don't already know, you need to return the camera after use!'
'Loading the film is as easy as you make it to be.'
The workshop led to some tongue-wagging
Darren (who used to write for SINdie) can't help but notice the SINdie camera when he sees one
We continue with the 'Who's Shooting What?' series with 5 feature films slated for production this year. It seems we can never lose our grip on horror, with a discernible branch of directors going into comic-horror. Cosmically, 2 directors are giving us their own takes on zombies in Singapore - Jacen Tan and Gary Ow. Both films will feature a nation plagued by a zombie virus. The coincidence is chilling. Read on below.....
Project Title: Singapore Girl (feature film) Filmmaker:Kan Lume
Brief Description:
In paradise, miracles do happen. While vacationing in Koh Samui, an unlikely romance takes place between two Singaporean singles - a lonely chain-smoking drifter recouping after a divorce and an SIA Flight Attendant nursing a broken heart. The guy convinces the girl to spend the next few days together with him in the same room. What follows is a comedic study of people on the brink of desperation and breakthrough.
Project Title: Zombiepura (feature film)
Filmmaker:Jacen Tan
Brief Description:
What will you defend? A zombie virus breaks out in Singapore while NSmen Tan and Lee are on guard duty. They flee their camp to rescue their loved ones, only to find out what it means to be real soldiers.
Tagline:Five bullets. Five million zombies. What will you defend?
Project Title: Hsien of the Dead (feature film)
Filmmaker:Gary Ow
Brief Description:
Zombies still carry out their daily routines, despite being zombified by a virus. It’s only when someone breaks the rules – for example littering or jaywalking – that they get really agitated and become flesh-eaters. The action horror-comedy’s titular protagonist Hsien is a cowardly national serviceman who realises that everyone in his army camp has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. He must then commandeer a vehicle and make its way out, linking up with other larger-than-life survivors that include s tomboyish ah lian sporting Sailor Moon outfits, a pompous civil servant and a receptionist with mean silat skills. Full scale shooting starts Feb 18 and ends in March.
Tagline:Small Island, Big Problem
Gary, still very much the entertainer, zombifies himself too
Project Title: Third Eye Open (feature film)
Filmmaker:Tony Kern
Brief Description:
A collection of horror tales unfold when an anti-terrorist agent opens his third eye in order to solve a case involving the occult. The film will take at least a full year of shooting throughout all of 2012. Post production will begin concurrently throughout 2012 and probably go into 2013. We hope to release the film by late-2013.
Tagline:"This is for those who have closed their eyes, so as not to see the others in spite. With a cold touch of terror, we will give all the sinful disbelievers true sight." - Figyur Pierce one of the characters from Third Eye Open
Project Title: Old Places (1.5 hr documentary, actual title to be revealed)
Filmmaker:Royston Tan
Brief Description: The sequel to 'Old Places' will be released in June. So make a date with your memories with one and half hour long documentary by Royston Tan.
Ever thought that Singapore is the perfect place to film a zombie movie? Well, too late - Gary Ow has beat you to it and will be making "Hsien of the Dead", a production touted to be Singapore's first English-language zombie feature film. The first-time filmmaker who is a computer programmer by day tells us how being funny can end you up in filmmaking business. We are just glad he doesn't turn into a zombie at night.
SINdie: How did you become a film producer being in the IT industry before this?
Gary: My entertainment career started in 2009 when my play (Vampire Monologues) won Best Runner-up in Theatre Idols 2009 contest. It was so funny that the judge, Pek Siok Lian, told me to go into standup comedy. At the time, a standup comedy open mike club was starting up and I discovered I wasn't funny on stage. It took at least three months to hone my material, timing and delivery to finally be able to "kill" (meaning, make an audience laugh with nonstop consistent strong laughter)... and kill consistently. One of my mentors suggested taping my own sets to study myself. When I did, I figured out how to frame a shot and use a camera.
SINdie: What inspired the switch over to explore filmmaking?
Gary: Well, from taping my own sets (while I was on stage), I learnt to trim and edit. I learnt how to use a greenscreen. I then started making short skit comedy videos and posting them on YouTube. But I wasn't always happy with the result. The camera was always low-res and the sound was usually weak or muffled. So I bought training material on DVDs and books on how to fix those problems. But it wasn't enough. I wanted my videos to look professional. I started taking professional short courses in editing, shooting and screenwriting.
Something happened in parallel at the time. My web programming clients started asking for videos to be uploaded to YouTube. I was a hobbyist at the time, but I was champing at the bit to put what I learnt into practice. So I started small and started making little ads and corporate videos for them. Nothing too adventurous at first, just small projects I could handle.
A lot of things happened in that compressed period. Example: I discovered that the comedic timing I learnt on stage... applied to video editing as well. Most editors leave too much or too little lag time for that comedic pause. My cuts were right on the mark. In screenwriting classes, I learnt to "show not tell"... I learnt that "less is more" in film. In shooting, I learnt many techniques on framing, compositing, and even how to interview people.
SINdie: How did your colleagues/ family/ friends react to your decision?
Gary: They thought of me as a hobbyist filmmaker and I didn't correct them. I was still earning my keep as a web programmer and doing short films on the weekends. I was also shooting my own comedy act to watch for errors, mis-timings and places where jokes could be improved. I didn't start out as a Scorcese or Tarantino and by god, if I ever get there...
SINdie: Was there stigma knowing that you'd be seen as a "first-ime filmmaker" with your debut film? How did you deal with it?
Gary: To be honest, I have been snubbed by a lot of industry old-hats: they expect things to be done the "proper" way. See, in entertainment, I learnt comedy first, then editing, then screenwriting, then shooting and directing. I feel that the order in which I learnt it helps a lot more because very experienced editors tell me that directors tend to shoot too much coverage. I shoot usually just enough footage and coverage to tell the story and have a bit left over for the editor to save the shot.
In contrast, the old-hats expect one to sit down, finish the full script and rewrite it 6 or 7 times (or 27 times, if need be). If that method works for you, more power to you. While my scripts have an overall story structure, I prefer to write in bursts.
Lastly, the industry old-hats did cynically wish me "good luck" with a smirk and a sneer. They couldn't believe I raised "that kind of money" so quickly. But like I said, more power to them.
SINdie: Ever regretted the decision, or thought of going back?
Gary: No, I wished I started earlier and in some respects, I did. As a kid, I memorized entired movie scripts and just repeated them all day, throughout school. Whenever class was starting to get boring, I would recall an entire movie and replay it in my head. I guess that's where I learnt a movie's natural dialogue rhythm.
SINdie: Why the interest of zombies in Singapore?
Gary: Look, on the surface, zombies are the living undead. But they really represent the unthinking people around us, don't they? They represent the un-imaginative, the non-creative (arrrrrgh) people we deal with everyday. You must know who I mean. The rigid, anal-retentive, stickler-for-rules type of person. The type of person who can't think out of the box, or believes "It's my way or the highway". And Singapore largely, has been criticized for creating that sort of "unimaginative administrator" culture. Kiasu culture.
For instance, name one Singaporean who has made a global blockbuster movie (I don't mean "local blockbuster" nor do I mean "critically-acclaimed-won-something-at-Cannes"). See? Nothing. I mean sure, a Singaporean invented the Soundblaster and the Thumb-drive, but movies that a global audience can identify with and enjoy? Not happening yet. So zombies gives us a good genre fan base to appeal to.
SINdie: Could you share with us the progress of your film at this stage?
Gary: I've shot the trailer. Full scale shooting started on Feb 18, 2012 and ends in March.
SINdie: What do you want viewers to get out of your first piece of work?
Gary: "Now that was fucken funny!"
We at SINdie wish Gary all the best in his filmmaking adventures, and we look forward to be tickled by "Hsien of the Dead"!
If you know of any other individuals who have "crossed over" to the world of filmmaking, drop us an email at sindieonly@gmail.com - we'd like to feature these inspiring souls!
The Singapore Short Film Awards (SSFA) is back! Enjoy a selection of about 100 Singapore short films made within the past year or so. New and old talents included. There will also be discussions, masterclasses and even parties. All screenings are free to attend and no advanced booking is required.
The awards ceremony will be held on 10 March 2012 and is by invitation only. There are ten award categories, including Best Director, Best Fiction, Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, Best Performance and Best Sound. The Singapore Short Film Awards also presents an Honorary Award to an individual or team who has made a significant contribution to the industry.
3rd Singapore Short Film Awards
Monday 5 – Sunday 11 March 2012
The Substation Theatre
Admission: by donation (no minimum amount)
Here is a list of the films which have won nominations
A Cloudy Conundrum by Woo Ying Tong, Samantha Lee Suyi, Calvin Chua Tin Giap, Poh Siang Kee and Yvonne Ng Yuwen Cut Adrift by Hakym Noh Bliss by Liang Xuan Existence by Jeanette Lim Sisters by Lincoln Chia The Hole by Tan Shijie First Breath After Coma by Logavel Balakrishnan Hentak Kaki by James Khoo Burger Burger by Gavin Tan Jun Jie and Huang Shicong Godaizer by Hillary Yeo Peace Be Upon You by Muhamad Yazid Libertas by Kan Lume Lighthouse by Anthony Chen Tales of the Chugawagas by Khoo Yi Hui Love In Any Genre by Suffian Zain Sanzaru by Roy Ng Wee Kiat Wild Dogs by Saravanan Sambasivam Unheard by Charmaine Yap Mandy's 8 Theories Of Sleep by Chee WeiLing Wendy Thin Air by Kirsten Tan
P-047 (Tae Peang Phu Deaw) by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee (Thailand)
Following its successful run in 2011, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is proud to present the second Southeast Asian Film Festival. The Festival is one of the largest dedicated offering of Southeast Asian films, showcasing 20 challenging works by filmmakers from the region, 19 of which are Singapore premieres. This year’s Festival will see the inclusion of Myanmar for the first time, alongside films from Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, amongst others.
Organised by SAM, the Southeast Asian Film Festival 2012 is curated together with prominent film curator and critic Philip Cheah as well as veteran arts administrator Teo Swee Leng. Featuring Southeast Asian films produced within the last two years (18 created in 2011, two in 2010), the Festival is a timely showcase of the new wave of Southeast Asian cinema. The selection of films reflect and bring to the forefront a range of pertinent issues facing the region through the medium of the moving image. Many of the 20 films are also being shown outside their home country for the first time.
Baby Factory (Bahay Bata) by Eduardo W Roy, Jr (Philippines)
As part of the museum’s aim to bring artists and audiences together, the Festival will offer the public greater insight into the art of filmmaking and the Southeast Asian wave. A Directors’ Panel on 3rd March will bring together directors Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr. (Philippines), Clodualdo Del Mundo, Jr. (Philippines), Kongdej Jaturanrasamee (Thailand) as well as actor Sunny Pang (Singapore) and curator Philip Cheah to discuss their views on Southeast Asian cinema. The Festival will also feature 12 post-screening discussions with directors, producers and actors. Both the Directors’ Panel and post-screening discussions are free for Festival ticket holders.
The Collector by James Lee (Malaysia) featuring Singapore's Sunny Pang
In line with SAM’s efforts to provide an avenue for the works of local film makers to be presented to a wider audience, this year’s Festival includes four Singapore films. Besides Jeevan Nathan’s short film The Legend of the Impacts and Water Hands by Serbian-born, Singapore-based director Vladimir Todorovic, Eric Khoo’s animated feature film Tatsumi, which debuted at Cannes and is Singapore’s official entry for the 2012 Academy Awards, will also form part of the local offerings for this year’s edition of the Festival. Joining the Singapore entourage are young directors Jeremy Boo and Lee Xian Jie, whose compelling documentary Before We Forget examines the under-discussed topic of dementia and the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Tatsumi by Eric Khoo
The Southeast Asian Film Festival will run from 2 to 31 March 2012 at the Moving Image Gallery at SAM at 8Q. In addition to free admission to the Director’s Panel and the relevant post-screening discussions, film festival ticket holders will also enjoy one-time free admission to SAM in the month of March. For more information and the full film schedule, please visit www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/seaff.
Trailer of the opening film, Fable of the Fish, by Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr (Philippines)
'It's time to introduce the current team of very talented volunteer writers behind SINdie again. There are altogether 6 of us with the occasional contributed article from other writers. Our backgrounds range from actual professional movie writing to filmmaking to being spin-doctors (public relations to be exact). I want to say a big thank you to all of them plus my ex-writers for having kept SINdie alive over the last 4 years. Can't wait to be 5!' Jeremy, founder and editor of SINdie
Can't fly to London for a photo, so just throw on some fleece collars and stand beside a colonial-styled lamp post
Yang Vicki is a freelance writer, and supposedly an actor too, for both stage and screen (or will be at some point). Her biggest screen credit was a shot of her back, as a meandering extra in an art gallery. In the meantime, there have been temporary stints as a car park booth attendant, arcade token counter bitch, and most uselessly, a useful production intern. She obviously likes film very much, but also engages her attention in the field of zoology, art, literature, science, and chinese wuxia. She pays off her tuition loans by writing non-fiction articles, and scripts.
With his overseas adventures, no flood in Singapore will ruin his day
John Li, instead of trying to get a proper desk-bound job which would bring home the moolah, chooses to dream about spending his days at coffee shops with friends discoursing about life. While he is dabbles in video production and writing (in both English and Mandarin!), he continues yearing for a day when he can pluck up the courage to become a movie projectionist so that he can watch all the films he wants.
Raymond actually has good table manners, notice he finished his food before texting
Raymond Tan is a freelance writer (or rather, starving writer) who mainly does film writing. He contributes film and game reviews as well as special features to the local entertainment magazine F*** Movie Magazine, and has written reviews for online portals such as funkygrad and incinemas.sg. He graduated from the National University of Singapore, during which time he mostly spent holed up in the library's multimedia room watching films. Losing his academic rigour halfway through, and tired of writing film essays drenched in theoretical jargon, he turned to reviewing films for his faculty newsletter, which sparked his interest in film journalism. An ardent supporter of local films both good and bad, he has been reviewing features and shorts for SINdie since early 2010.
Beautifully annoying holiday photo
Yiz's mother used to put her in front of the TV to get her to shut up. Since then, she has been devouring films like there is no tomorrow. After learning that sentences can be constructed to deliver meanings and opinions, she likes to write her thoughts on whatever she's watched as well. Besides, watching films, she does have a life. She currently splits her time up serving the regular 8 hour shift as a corporate rat, watching movies, hanging out with friends, attending creative writing classes, traveling, among other stuff....
Operating in the dark has been a big part of his training as a cinematographer
Amarendra is a 23 year-old dedicated student of cinematography and currently pursuing a degree at The Puttnam School of Film in Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore. He hails from Mumbai City where he has worked in bollywood for T.V, commercials, music videos and feature films. However, Singapore has a strange attraction for him despite the colourful movie industry in India. He is a cinematographer by practice and his philosophy in cinematography is "Ignore Key-Light, Shoot Shadows." (actually its Fuck Key-light and shoot shadows). To add another feather to his cap, he also composes and performs his own music.
Running a voluntary blog site has it challenges but it helps to have big picture thinking
Jeremy Sing's started in a sparsely occupied cinema with his mother watching ‘Days of Being Wild’ by Wong Kar Wai (though he did not eventually become a fan of Wong Kar Wai) Though still with a full time office job, he found his way into the industry by attending night classes, being a production assistant in several films and making his own short films. From 2005, he has made 5 short films that have both been screened locally and at overseas film festivals and competitions. Jeremy founded SINdie in 2008 and is proud to be cuddling this 4 year old baby girl.
My Art Space celebrates Love, Life & Laughter, this Valentine’s Day with HEART-SHAPED BOX. Cosy up to an evening of good wine, sensual food & a series of local short films curated by Wesley Leon Aroozoo.
Date: 13th & 14th February 2012
For more information click here.
Films:
Doodle by Wan Zhong Wei
Mickey by Wesley Leon Aroozoo
Hole In The Bed by Nelson Yeo
Swing by Leon Cheo
Hello, Goodbye by Tay Licheng
I Want To Remember by Sherman Ong
The Wedding Avenger by Michelle Cheong
From December 2011 to March 2012 the Singapore Film Comission is proud to bring Singapore short films to Cathay Cineplexes. These six heart-warming stories centered on human relationships are made by Singapore’s talented independent filmmakers. They have been presented at various festivals around the world, such as the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and the Singapore Short Film festival. Each film shall precede a main feature during its run under Cathay Cineplexes’ premier label, The Picturehouse Selection. Read more about the screenings here!
Also, do give us your comments on this initiative by participating in this short survey! The survey will take less than a minute but will go a long way in our understanding and supporting of the Singapore film industry.
I (Jeremy) tried to do a 'Wesley' by choreographing this rather enigmatic shot.
Anyone familiar with filmmaker/artist Wesley Leon Aroozoo, might begin to wonder if after all his varied pursuits in music, writing and of course film, performance art is really his thing. His latest art work 'Hard On Day Off Jerk Off Thank You but I miss home now', now showing in Stockholm, is a yet another chip off his block of works that seem to be experimentation with his own psyche. Wesley, one of the most prolific short film makers of the current times, has produced a body of works that undeniably esoteric, enigmatic and even funny. I am trying to avoid using the word quirky because it understates the intent in the films. See his colourful filmography below.
Just like his films, Wesley is a mixed bag of temperaments. He can't be pigeon-holed. To call him rebellious is putting him into a kind of straight-jacket for artists. You can't place the 'comedy' nor 'experimental' genre on him either. His works are funny yet getting laughs do not seem the end intention. He works cross-genres but do not quite seek out to bend or invent forms. Rumour has it that he once custom-made a baby coffin to put his film school application submission materials in and sent the entire 'application' package over. Yet sometimes, at the end of the day, he is shy like a teenager who's on his first night out to party. Who is the real Wesley, I spent some time with him to find out.
Jeremy (J): You look exotic. What mix are you? Wesley (W): I am Eurasian, a mix of Portguese and Chinese, so its half Portuguese, half Chinese.
J: Can you speak Portuguese.
W: No, but my parents can. I just never picked it up from them.
J: Why didn’t you pick it up?
W: I think the main reason is because on my maternal relatives’ side, they all migrated to Australia. So I don’t have any reasons to speak Portuguese to anybody.
J: So between your parents, who is Chinese, who is Eurasian?
W: Both are Eurasians.
J: So their ‘half-half’ makes you still a ‘half-half’.
W: You can say that.
J: How big is your family?
W: I have 2 older sisters. I am the youngest.
Wesley displays a beautiful tattoo on his left arm which feature his mum and him.
J: What are you currently doing?
W: I am currently doing my masters in Tisch Asia in writing. It is a 2 year course, I just started.
J: Didn’t you just graduate from NTU? When was it?
W: I graduated in June last year. I started this course in August.
J: So why did you choose writing?
W: Err…… I do like writing a lot. And it is quite hard to find a course that allows you to write. And especially in Singapore, we don’t really have courses catered to writing. In NYU, you could either do writing or filmmaking again. I went straight for writing as I wanted to try something different. I already did it for 3 years in poly and then a few more years in NTU.
J: When did you start making films?
W: When I was 10 years old, I wanted to go to Disneyland and I entered this chocolate wrapper competition. I didn’t win the top prize which was a trip to Amsterdam but I won the second prize which was a Sony H8 camera. It was this gadget which cost a few thousand and I started playing around with it. I would shoot home videos with my sister.
J: How long ago was that?
W: It was the year 1995. I played with the camera for about 2-3 years for fun. And then I stopped doing films all the way until I went into Temasek Poly.
J: Dick Marlow was your first short film?
W: Unfortunately, yes.
J: It’s very cute.
W: It’s ok.
J: Why did you stop after a while?
W: I think it was because when I entered secondary school, it was a very weird period of tie for me. I was going in different directions. And I always wanted to go to a JC. But when I got my ‘O’ Level results, I could not make it to a JC, so I had to choose a poly. I went through course lists and many of them did not interest me. Then, there was a filmmaking course in Temasek Poly, called Interactive Media Design. So I tried it out and I brought my film ‘Dick Marlow’ for the interview ad somehow it helped me start off in this direction?
J: What did they say about Dick Marlow?
W: Erm, for some strange reason, they actually liked it.
J: So your first proper film was Moomeow the Cat? What is it about?
W: Moomeow the Cat is about a scientist who wants to be the maddest scientist in the whole world. So she fuses her two friends, a cat and a cow together to create a new animal. But the animal turns out to be a very unhappy animal. She goes on to win the competition but she lost her friends.
J: I notice a lot of your films have elements of fantasy and absurdity. I guess that’s what makes your films interesting. Where do these ideas come from?
W: For Moomeow, there are so many elements of fantasy and many costumes because I have always dreamed of working in Jim Henson’s workshop where you can play with the puppets and all that Sesame Street stuff. I do like puppets for some strange reason…. A lot. So I always wanted to have my little own costume play, so that was how Moomeow was created.
J: But what’s the real Wesley like? (beat) Yes, I would actually like to know more about you. I mean I think your films speak louder than you, if you would allow me to put it that way. You are soft-spoken. (pause( Ya, what have you always been like? Maybe as a teenager and now?
W: Mmm… I have always been soft-spoken. I am quite a gentle person. I don’t lose my patience often. Erm, when I started making all these small films, it reminded how I used to play all my toys when I was young.
J: What were the toys? Any Barbie dolls? Just kidding.
W: A lot of toys, because I was very pampered. My mum bought me like everything.
J: Were you really spoiled?
W: No I wasn’t. I just had a lot of toys. But then in a way, for some reason, there was a benefit to it. When I was young, because I had all the toys I wanted, so that mentality was in my mind. So when I got older, I worked extremely hard for everything I wanted. Not getting something was just not an answer.
J: Isn’t that a good thing?
W: Yeah, it’s a good thing even though it’s a little bit psychotic.
J: Are you psychotic?
W: Errr… no.
J: How do you know?
W: (laughs) But you just won’t take no for an answer and go all the way.
J: So you have a tendency to lose sight of other things if you can’t get a particular thing?
W: To a certain extent maybe.
J: What were the biggest disappointments in your life?
W: I would think it would be JC. I still remember going to collect my ‘O’ level results. I know I wasn’t a very smart student. But I calculated that I might stand a chance to get into the last 2-3 JCs. So, when I collected my results, everything was as expected except for one subject which way off my expectations. That was my English for some strange reason. I am usually good in English and my Malay is horrible and I will usually score an A1 or A2 for English cos I speak English everyday. But when I collected it, it was a C6. So it was quite devastating. I remember a few people talking and saying maybe my composition was way-off the topic but I knew myself that it was not way-off. Anyway, I was very sad because I saw how people did not believe in me. Maybe in some psychotic, that’s why I am doing my writing today.
J: Why do you like to write?
W: I like to create things in general. I would usually type on a typewriter itself. I just like to see things being created on a paper. If I am typing on the computer, it’s just not the same though I have to do that now.
J: I understand you do a bit of music, so do you write all your songs?
W: Erm, for most of my films, I do the films. But sometimes, I work with a composer. But I never had a music lesson in my life and the only person who would give me a chance to feature my own music is actually myself.
J: Are you more a writer or a filmmaker?
W: I think perhaps more a writer. Writing is a more personal activity that I can do myself. In filmmaking, there is a lot more interaction with people … which I do enjoy, (not that I am anti-social) though not as much as writing. I don’t think I can do directing as a job.
J: Have you tried directing for paid jobs?
W: I just can’t. I am scared.
J: Why are you scared?
W: Cos in school, sometimes you are made to direct other people’s stories. I can sometimes get bored. I am usually better when I am directing my own stuff.
J: If you had 5 years left to live, would you spend your time writing a book or directing a film?
W: Sad to say, I would prefer to write a book.
J: Nothing sad to say, it’s your preference.
W: I still like films a lot. I would still direct small films and maybe the occasional bigger films.
J: If you had a million dollar, what kind of big film would you direct? (pause) change that, these a million is not enough, let’s say you had $10million.
W: I would probably make a film set in space with lots of unnecessary special effects (laughs) and huge sets. It would make people go ‘he spent so much money and yet he screwed it up’. (laughs)
J: Do you have low self-esteem?
W: No I don’t think I have low self-esteem.
J: Why do you always put yourself down?
W: I just know I will screw it up but I will laugh about it too.
Listen up! Wesley plays 'film instructor' in this video
J: I’d like to know a bit more about the journey you have taken. The first film I saw that you made was Flicker. Then of course, there was Pak & Sons Travel that totally blew my mind because I have never seen anything like that. It was madness and crazy but it made me remember the film too. And obviously, you went on to do other quirky stuff. Care to share about this evolution of your style? Is there such thing as a ‘Wesley’ style?
Wesley 'models' the 'Pak & Sons Travel' T-shirt that he was going to give me as a token for this interview.
W: I don’t know but my hope is that even if I doing comedy or something serious, that people would go ‘Oh yeah, that’s a Wesley film’ regardless of its genre. So that’s something I try to strive for.
J: What is the ‘Wesley’ style?
W: Maybe I approach serious issues in a light-hearted way.
J: But it is beyond light-hearted as well, it’s sometimes quite twisted.
W: (laughs) Maybe to a certain extent. I don’t know why. I am not like that myself but somehow my films carry that characteristic.
Still from 'Pak & Sons Travel'
J: What have your lecturers said about your films?
W: Usually it’s not their cup of tea. In fact, the lecturers comment on our ideas throughout the journey and have asked me to change this and that along the way. I am quite stubborn so I will usually go ‘Yes that’s correct.’ But in the end nothing changes and I still go out to do what I want to do. And they would be like ‘Damn you Wesley, you didn’t listen to me!’ (pause) I guess if I followed what they said, I would have made a better film. Unfortunately, making a better film is not what I am interested in. It’s not the point why I make a film.
J: How did you get involved with 13 Little Pictures?
W: I wanted to make a longer film for my final year project, so I approached 13 Little Pictures for assistance and guidance for doing the film. However, it was later taken out of the premise of my final year project and I had to make it independent of NTU.
J: Are you still developing it?
W: Yes. I am still applying for film grants.
J: What’s your film about?
W: It’s about a bookmark factory. But at night the factory does weird stuff and its about a guy who gets involved with the factory.
J: Why bookmarks?
W: I like bookmarks because they look silly and many of them have this picture of a sunset with a silly quote.
Geylang Santa - still from 'Kissing Faces'
J: Who are your favourite directors or who inspires you?
W: I like the older films by Woody Allen. I find it so amazing that he is so old and yet he can still write and direct pretty continuously. He comes up with a film nearly every two years. I also like works from David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick. But locally I like Ho Tzu Nyen’s stuff and Daniel Hui’s stuff.
J: Among your own works, which are you favourites?
W: It’s got to be Mickey. It’s also the film which had the least attention. So if you were a father and you know a kid has too little attention, you end up liking the kid more.
J: Why Mickey?
W: For me, it was a film which had a good balance of what I wanted to say and also a film that people can identify with. It deals about a topic that is not discussed much. And it had a mouse, astronauts, a wedding and even a threesome in a bed. And Mickey is actually one of the most serious films out of all my films.
Still from 'Mickey'
J: Would you starve for the sake of art?
W: If I had a choice I would not starve for the sake of art, but it would be extremely hard for me not to do anything related to art.
J: Have you tried doing other things?
W: Yes, I did!
J: Tell me what you did!
W: During the army after my Poly, I was applying for NTU. I applied twice but didn’t get in. I am about to apply for the third time. At the same, I thought about trying something else. I though why not be a pilot? So I applied to the Singapore Air Force. To be with them, you need to sign a 10-yr bond. I went for training with them in Sydney for about 2 months during my NS. (pause) It was so strange. When I went up there to train, the thing I banned myself from having was a notebook. Because I love to write and writing would take my attention off from flying, that’s why. So everyday I would fly in the sky. And bear in mind, I was afraid of heights. But soon I was doing somersaults. But ultimately, I still didn’t like it.
J; How did you overcome your fear of height?
W: Oh, before that I was in commando and doing parachuting and that’s worse if you are afraid of heights. If you are up there, it does not matter if you are afraid of heights because you need to concentrate on doing your safety checks and all. You can’t let something like this fear disrupt what you are trying to do because your safety is at stake. But flying is definitely not as scary as jumping out of a plane. And with 1001 things to juggle when you fly, you have no time to think about your fear of heights. (Pause) Anyway, back to my journey in this flying career. I actually managed to pass all the crucial tests and get so close to becoming a pilot. But I told myself I couldn’t do it and bear not to have my notebook. It was just not what I wanted to do. So in the end, my road to flying ended because I failed one of the tests in which I did not study. You need to study to pass the flying exams. (pause) That was the point of time I realized that writing and filmmaking were really what I loved and wanted to do.
Filmmography of Wesley Leon Aroozoo Dick Marlow (1995) Moomeow (2005) Flicker (2006) Pak & Sons Travel (2007) A Lion's Pride (2008) Love Me Yesterday (2008) Hard Boiled Egg (2008) Mickey (2009) Kissing Faces (2009) Peep (2010) Maybe She Loves Everyone (2010) Two Fingers Imitating Legs Walking (2011)
