We catch up with Daniel Hui (pictured right) of 13 Little Pictures who shares what happened at the 13 Little Pictures Film Lab held in Bangkok end of last year.
Can you give us a refresher on what 13 Little Pictures is?
13 Little Pictures is a collective of independent filmmakers
bound by a spirit of collaboration and comradeship. We believe in making films
and friends at the same time, because filmmaking is ultimately most refreshing
when it is achieved collaboratively. By challenging, inspiring, and supporting
each other, we hope to build a community of distinct individuals who share a
similar spirit of adventure and love.
There are 24 participants from 7 countries , where are they from
and what genres of films did you all receive?
We had participants from all over the region and the world. This
year, we had participants from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Vietnam, the U.S., and Portugal. At the end of the lab, the participants made
films ranging from narrative fiction, experimental documentary, essay film,
dance film, to sound collage. The films were all mind-blowing and I am
extremely proud that 13 Little Pictures played a part in bringing all these
astounding filmmakers together.
Can you elaborate more on the happenings at the film lab and
it's goals?
The first three days of the lab consisted of intense
workshopping sessions, where participants critiqued each other's film ideas and
shared their opinions on cinema. We also had sharing sessions by filmmakers
from 13 Little Pictures (Chris Yeo, Liao Jiekai, and myself) and Electric Eel
Films (Anocha Suwichakornpong and Soros Sukhum). Over the next two days, the
participants had to shoot and edit their films. There was a final critique of
the rough cuts before the films were finally presented on the very last day.
Two films were then awarded post-production prizes sponsored by Technicolor
Asia.
Our goal for this lab was to open up a space where people from
vastly different backgrounds, experiences, political and artistic views could
come together and make work collaboratively. We believe in creative tension,
the sparks that fly when the minds of distinct individuals collide, because
this reflects the spirit of 13 Little Pictures. I have personally learned so
much from the participants of this lab. They have shown me that differences can
not only be transcended, but also be used to augment one another, creating
something that is much bigger than all of us.
Since this is the 3rd edition , how did the films differ from
the previous 2 editions ?
This year, we asked all the participants to submit a film idea
revolving around the theme 'The Uncanny' along with their applications. This
allowed us more time to interrogate each other's film ideas, which, I think,
resulted in a greater variety of films in different genres. It also placed a
greater emphasis on the films that were made at the end.
How is the indie film industry in Thailand? Could you elaborate
more on the recurring themes/genre that is very often portayed in
Thailand?
Meeting the independent filmmakers in Thailand - many of whom
were involved in the lab in one way or another - was absolutely inspiring for
me. Never before have I met so many people who are both visionary and humble in
equal measure. From an outsider's point of view, there seems to be a veritable
filmmaking and film-watching community that is very receptive to new ideas and
modes of expression. Sure there is still no money involved in independent filmmaking,
but to me - and of course I run the risk of romanticizing things - there is a
very precious flame there that cannot be easily extinguished by the demands of
money and commercialism. I am especially excited by the fearlessness with which
independent Thai cinema confronts sociopolitical issues.
How did you guys came about with the theme "The
Uncanny" ?
We wanted a theme that sets a tone, a color, but also one that
is broad enough to invite varied interpretations. More importantly, we wanted
to give the participants room for imagination, and since "The
Uncanny" marries both the strange and the familiar, we felt it would work
best.
Could you tell us what you'll be expecting from next year's 13
Little Pictures?
This year will be our fifth anniversary so it will be a very
exciting year for us. For one, we are producing Glenn Goei's Yellow Flowers
with mm2 Entertainment. The film will be written by Haresh Sharma and shot by
Christopher Doyle. We have also just finished shooting Fundamentally Happy, a
feature film directed by Tan Bee Thiam and Lei Yuan Bin. I will also have a new
feature this year entitled Snakeskin.
Where is it possible for audiences to catch these films?
Some of the participants are still putting their finishing
touches to their films. Once the films are ready, we will put them up on our 13
Little Pictures YouTube channel. We are also excited to see them in film
festivals around the world soon!
Interview by Mohan Deitrich