Be among the first in Asia to see the RED EPIC camera, powered by the new 5K Mysterium X sensor. Ted Schilowitz from Red Digital Cinema will be in Singapore to show off the EPIC and screen a selection of of RED footage, including some of the latest footage from the MX sensor that will go into the upcoming EPIC camera.
Singapore's own Widescreen Media will talk about their experience of shooting Stereoscopic 3D feature films on the RED ONE ,and will demo S3D footage shot both locally and overseas. They will also discuss workflow and post production options for S3D with RED . AV8 Media will also be on hand to discuss training and system integration for Stereoscopic 3D. Don't miss this chance to see the future of digital film making. This event is sponsored in part by Seika Corporation, RED's first authorized reseller for the Asia region.
Date: 4th November, 11am - 1pm
(Registration starts at 10am, Level 6 and lounge event to follow from 1-2pm)
Venue : The Cathay Hall 2 The Cathay Cineplex Levels 5 & 6, The Cathay 2 Handy Road Singapore 229233 Nearest MRT Station: NE6 / NS24 Dhoby Ghaut
Brief outline:
Introduction and keynote address by Ted Schilowitz
Demonstration of EPIC
Screening of RED ONE Mysterium and Mysterium X footage
Introduction to Stereoscopic 3D by Widescreen Media
Screening of 3D Footage from Widescreen Media
Demonstration of Stereoscopic 3D workflows with RED and Iridas
Training and Integration overview by AV8 Media
Q & A
Don't miss this chance to see the future of digital film making! Limited seats available! First come, First served! Please RSVP to training@av8.com.sg or call us at (65) 6339 1321.
We continue with a series of responses from local filmmakers on the current regulation and/or censorship system in Singapore. This is an ongoing project initiated by a group of students from LASALLE. Discussions and exchange of views are encouraged between members of the public and arts practitioners on the regulatory issue of films in Singapore. View our previous interviews here.
We find out what local filmmaker, Szu Kiong has to say:
1. During the process of making a film, have you ever felt restricted by any regulatory boundaries set by MDA? If yes, in what ways?
For my case, I have not felt restricted because I have never produced violent, sexually explicit, and racially, religiously or politically sensitive films although my films can be quite artistic. My films are "healthy".
I like to add that in my personal experience, MDA / SFC is not entirely close-minded. My first short film, MY KEYS, portrays the Goddess of Mercy, which is a religious figure, in a mischevious way. My second short film, MICHELLE, shows a melancholic woman walking in streets and enviously gazing at loving couples. At the end, we learn that she's a transvestite yearning to be a normal woman. Before I made my fourth short film, THE FOREST SPIRITS, people threw wet blanket at me saying that SFC would only support films with local flavors and never support the wuxia genre. These films are all supported by SFC.
2. If for artistic purposes, would you make a film which you know might attract censors or cuts but still continue to do it anyway? Why?
If it is a short film which involves low budget and I feel strongly for, I would probably make it anyway. There are many film festivals around the world which might be more tolerant. If it is a feature film which is likely to be banned, I rather not because I am not a rich filmmaker. I would likely choose to make feature films that can reach out to all ages.
3. In the Arts Community Position Paper, it is suggested that regulation should be implemented in place of censorship, as the former involves objective classification that is not politically-motivated. What is your view?
It sounds good because regultions should be clearer.
4. Two of MDA’s guiding principles behind its regulatory work are to uphold community values and to safeguard national and public interest. What is your view?
I guess such guidelines are common in many countries. Most people should agree that filmmakers should not make films that are biased against a minority group, or any religion. Of course exercising the guidelines can be controversial and even colored with prejudices. However, it is a double edged sword because how the government acts and the mentality of the majority are related to each other. Often, the conservative group wins because of the government's support. So, the government has to change its perception and take steps to educate people and clear prejudices.
5. Have you participated in any discussion programmes or feedback consultations with regards to content regulation initiated by MDA? Would you participate in future? Why?
Nope. But I don't mind participating.
6. What do you have to say about the censoring/banning of content in films screened in local theatres which are still obtainable on the Internet?
This is like a case of a parent forbidding children to do this and that at home, but the parent can't stop them from doing those things out of home. People in the arts community would question the rationale of banned contents while they can all be accessed on the Internet. I think this kind of train of thought is dangerous because it means that since porn can be obtainable on the Internet, why ban porn in theatres? So, I advice people should not reason like that.
Want to add your 2 cents worth? Join us in an open discussion on facebook
That was the word that first popped into my mind after all six films were screened. And aptly so; after all, the event was named Masala Mix for a reason, no?
I use that food reference in both a good and a bad sense. The films screened in the event were all radically different, both in style and in content; their genres spanned from comedy to horror. It is always nice to have variety in any short film screenings. At the same time though, there were the obvious standouts among the lineup.
It is probably tricky to curate a screening of Indian shorts made by local filmmakers when so few have been made to begin with. Again, I give props to the curating team for sourcing out the films and helping audience get acquainted with a couple of gems - Michael Kam's wacky Masala Mama, which competed at the Berlin International Film Festival, was my favourite. SINdie's very own Jeremy Sing also had his film Moving, screened during the event!
The only real problem with the nature of the event was the expectations audiences carried with them into the theatre. The name of the event had them anticipating a line up of films exploring/commenting on the Indian identity in Singapore, but most of the films were really not concerned with such an issue. Many of the films were simply using an Indian cast member either to explore interracial tensions or simply to situate their protagonists in a predominantly Indian social setting.
There are always inherent problems in expecting an "Indian film" made by local filmmakers. What really defines a film as Indian? Going in a similar tangent, what for that matter, is a Singaporean film? I think such clear distinctions for a local brand of Indian film do not yet exist. It is very much up to local filmmakers to shape the contours of what qualifies as an "Indian film". I think some of the audiences were half expecting a Bollywood style short film made by a local filmmaker, but I think that insipid. Drawing on such cultural influences is fine, but Indian culture rooted in a local context is always going to be different from the culture among Indians anywhere else in the world.
Anyhow, I think the event was still smartly named. If anything, the mix of films was good. Some of the films like Masala Mama tapped into cultural traditions - or idiosyncrasies, depending on how you see it - and drew laughs from the audience; others like Moving explored interracial tensions; Deadly Secrets utilized horror conventions prevalent in South Asian films and weaved them into a narrative anchored in a Singaporean context. None of them claimed to be an "Indian film", but I think eventually, as more local filmmakers go on to make films exploring Indian characters in Singapore, a clearer identity of such a subgenre will start to arise.
As of now, I still maintain that some of K. Rajagopal's earlier works come closest to being the quintessential "local Indian film".
As for the crowd, I would say that it is always great to see a full showing at a screening of local shorts. There were more than 130 people present and most of the audiences stayed for the Q and A session. And this time round, no McDonalds eating couple in the cinema, stinking up the place with the stench of oil and fries!
Stayed tuned for the next Showoff! session on Nov 16, which is a continuation of the Masala Mix theme. You can check out the facebook event page here.
P.S. If you guys were in the hall and heard a girl relentlessly bursting into laughter during the screening of some of the films, that was probably SINdie's Melody Chow (sorry, Mel =D). Ok, so some of the films were probably unintentionally funny at parts, but at least they were entertaining, and we're not complaining!
Out at the flea market , deep in thought about whether to buy or not buy...
Jonathan Chong stands up to Mathias' questions on his film 'Father'.
(Looi) Wan Ping's 'White Days' and Wilson (Yip) 'Madam Chan' both clinched second prize in the feature film and short film category respectively! Congrats!! After the awards, we headed to the nearby pub for the closing party. Booze, hugs and smokes aplenty :) Jonathan shared with me his cigar, a puff, got me choking. Wasn't used to it. But that's why we are here!
A 2010 Arts Community Position Paper on Censorship and Regulation has recently been developed by Arts Engage, a network of arts practitioners from various disciplines. The paper proposes and recommends for the current system to be replaced by one where there is a clear separation of regulation and censorship.
A group of students from LASALLE take to the streets and the internet to interview members of the public and local filmmakers on their views and opinion concerning the current film classifications system in Singapore.
Here is a response from SINdie's very own blogger/filmmaker, Jeremy:
During the process of making a film, have you ever felt restricted by any regulatory boundaries set by MDA? If yes, in what ways? Not really. If commercial objectives were secondary in making a film, I will go completely with my guts because films cross geographical boundaries and every film will find its audience somewhere. So if it is a good piece of work that's kept my artistic integrity intact, I will not be too concerned that the authorities might ban it.
If for artistic purposes, would you make a film which you know might attract censors or cuts but still continue to do it anyway? Why? Yes, I would. How can replace the word 'fuck' when you need the character to say it? If it is in Hokkien, it proves my point even more. There are just no substitutes for certain elements in film.
In the Arts Community Position Paper, it is suggested that regulation should be implemented in place of censorship, as the former involves objective classification that is not politically-motivated. What is your view? The whole basis of the Position Paper is to lobby for the us to be treated more like adults. Adults are ready to judge for themselves what is right and wrong and what are the boundaries of being creative and being distasteful. This line is very fine. But when we are given the space to decide where the line is, it leads us to start thinking critically about what is acceptable and what is not. If we decide something is not, there is whole-hearted acceptance. We are not blindly placing 'conventional' judgements on thing.
Two of MDA’s guiding principles behind its regulatory work are to uphold community values and to safeguard national and public interest. What is your view? On community values, it sounds sensible on the onset but what we forget is that the censors, like to err on the side of being conservative or 'the best way not to get into trouble'. They are after holding in highly-watched positions, doing sensitive jobs. On national and public interest, I find it hard to define what it is and politics can often get into play (and I guess this is universal, not just in Singapore).
Have you participated in any discussion programmes or feedback consultations with regards to content regulation initiated by MDA? Would you participate in future? Why? No. This is mainly due to my busy schedule. But when I have more time in the future I would like to. I believe, in my position, running SINdie, a widely-read film blog, we have some social responsibility to my readers.
What do you have to say about the censoring/banning of content in films screened in local theatres which are still obtainable on the Internet? Perhaps the censors see public screening of 'objectionable' films is public endorsement of them. So banning them is more a gesture and it does not ultimately block off all possible viewing opportunities of the film. But I wonder they do not explore restricted screening arrangements? Perhaps they may start to now given the recent changes announced.
Want to add your 2 cents worth? Join them in an open discussion on facebook
'Here is a screenshot from 'Zomberlin' a little joint project by the Singapore contingent that attended the previous ASHB in 2009.' 'No words can describe this look of ...... constipation.' Above left to right: Victric Thng, Aishah (from Substation), Royston Tan, Wilson Yip, Mathias Ortmann 'The Singapore Hot Shots screening was a wonderful selection of Singapore films, one of the best curated program of Singapore films I have experienced. We also had the opportunity to watch Royston's 'Fish Love', which was amazing!' 'The filmmakers over here are happy with the screening and would like to give a Big Big thanks to Mathias, AHSB peeps and MDA for making the experience possible.' '
On Day 3 which was 22 Oct, we had a lively Singapore panel discussion.... We then went on to attend 'Pink films'. It was too much to handle, so we left halfway. We scared...... No la. More like bored n revolted.' 'Day 4 has just begun!'
'Big gang of Singaporeans here in Berlin... We went to visit he Jewish museum this time round, only 4 Euros to get in.' 'We ate at Rayan Chicken, some kebab place.... really cold here in Berlin!... but the AHSB people are really nice here.' 'Like the previous time, we met up with up the Singapore ambassador again. And we all went to catch Glen Goei's movie, 'The Blue Mansion'. It had Emma Yong naked full frontal, without censoring. Nice.....'
signing off, Wesley Leon Aroozoo (that's me above in the picture foreground!)
Let's go behind the scenes of Tiong Bahru through the eyes of Nooraini Shah and Wen Piao who have kindly shared their 2 cents' worth on the film.
How did you get involved in Tiong Bahru? (Nooraini Shah): My film lecturer from Lasalle College of The Arts introduced me to the film. A year ago, I watched Joe & Christine's works screened at Tiong Bahru Golden Village Theatre and during the Q&A session they announced that they will be embarking on a project in Singapore. Thus, my journey in Tiong Bahru commenced.
(Wen Piao): Well i got involved with the Tiong Bahru project as i was an intern at Zhao Wei Films during the school holidays. Zhao Wei Films was a major collaborator on this project.
Anything memorable happened during the filming process? (NS): I was the second Assistant Director and was responsible for the talents. Despite them being non professional actors they were very cooperative and everyone were passionate about their part in the film. They would often share about how obliged they were to be a part of the story due to their strong sense of belonging to Tiong Bahru. When two heart meets, and for this would be their heart and the film's, I think that is what made things memorable for them and for us.
(WP): Well aside from the weather acting up and it was raining constantly during the shoot, i was deeply impressed by the professionalism of one of the amateur actresses. She was between 80 - 90 years old and had a major role in the film. All her scenes were shot on the last day. In spite of her advanced age, she endured the entire 12 hour working day without taking much rest. During the shoot, she walked up and down and around the marketplace and hawker centre. My grandma is of a similar age but her knees give her problems and she needs her daily nap. I was deeply impressed.
How do you find the treatment of Tiong Bahru by the 2 filmmakers? (NS): It was a fresh collaboration of ideas between fiction and non fiction that birthed a story about Tiong Bahru. On set, the filmmakers sculptured unprofessional actors into actors. They were spontaneously lucrative in ideas, especially in escalating a scene of the script to a higher pedestal. Their artistic reach to the film were commendable. (WP): I found their vision of the civic life project provided great insight into life in Tiong Bahru. Although the market has been recently renovated, it still retains the charm of Old Tiong Bahru, which comes through into the film.
Does it portray the Tiong Bahru you've been familiar for all your life? (NS): I am not in a large degree familiar to Tiong Bahru, however I am emotionally attached to the place due to my close aunty who lived there for decades. Tiong Bahru may not be seen very much as a heritage venue due to the shopping malls and new HDB buildings built. Despite so, the history lies within the people. And its these few memories that are of heritage value more than mere buildings that could be replaced, and memory never do.
(WP): I've only been frequenting Tiong Bahru the past 5 years so i can't quite say i've been familiar with Tiong Bahru all my life, but its definitely an accurate portrayal.
Are you familiar with Tiong Bahru? What do you think the shoot missed out? (NS): We were running round the clock on the last day of shoot, I'm sure Joe & Christine has got all the footages they needed. However, I am certain if time permits, they be capture more cutaways and spend more time on dialogue scenes. I would have loved more exterior shots too of the building for 'the shell is the content before the content itself'.
(WP): Yes i am familiar with Tiong Bahru. Personally speaking of course, it would have been nice to shoot and highlight more of Seng Poh Road, as well as the individual streets such as Eng Hoon Street or Seng Poh Lane. My favourite areas include Loo's hainanese curry rice and Wu Hu Aquarium which i often frequent! More locations would be Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh during lunch time or some of the cze char stalls where locals gather and frequent in the evening such as my all time favourite, Sum Cheah Kee, which unfortunately has been chased out by the main tenant. A hidden niche would have been the Chay Yan street, Yong Siak Street and Moh Guan Terrace area, which is very green and quiet.
Did they have some special personal takes or interpretation of Tiong Bahru of Singapore that you stuck with you? (NS): They was a forest shot which was taken at the hawker centre and it was visually a breath of fresh breeze. The directors took very interesting shots given location and manipulates the space differently which fascinates me sometimes. It somehow shows Tiong Bahru differently than what i thought when i read the script.
“For Two” or “二人“ is a short film about a woman who lives inside the cupboard of man’s apartment, and the curious relationship that they share. I had directed it as part of my first year at Tisch School of the Arts Asia; it was supposed to be a 7-minute adaptation of a news article of our choice. That was the practical genesis of the project. The students were given in total about seven weeks to complete their films from basic idea to a finished cut, in addition to working on each other’s films, so it was a crazy time! It is funny how much crazier production can seem when looking back in retrospect – I guess you forget when you are in the thick of it. We shot for 4 days, with a wonderful cast and crew, who worked with me very energetically to create the film - it was a set with great atmosphere, a quiet buzz underneath a calm working environment. I believe this is key: the atmosphere on set has an inestimable influence on the film-making. On the set of this film, it allowed me to work with the actors, as well as my cinematographer, very precisely. As much as it was an incredible experience directing the film, what gave me great satisfaction was when they told me how fruitful the experience was for them.
We heard that your inspiration came from a news article depicting a homeless woman living inside a man’s apartment with him in secret for a year. You weren’t pulling our legs right? No joke. It was in a Japanese newspaper: a homeless woman was found to have been living inside a single Japanese man’s apartment, inside the upper section of a quite un- used wardrobe. It was a really small article, literally 4 paragraphs that offered exactly the same information in the previous sentence. Oh, the article also mentioned: the two people were quite elderly, 60ish or 70ish. (I can’t remember exactly) I hate to invoke cliché: but truth can really be stranger than fiction. In any case when I read the article I was incredulous – the situation was pregnant with so many dramatic possibilities, I knew I had to make a film about this.
In that particular scene where the male lead could have exposed the stranger who was hiding his cupboard there and then as the alarm clock rang, why the portrayal of reluctance to acknowledge each other?
Well, this goes back to the news article: it mentioned that the man was unknowing of the woman inside his own apartment. When I read this, I could not believe this: how can someone not know? Especially for a year? It was then that I began thinking of circumstances in which the man would ignore or rather, deny, the woman in his apartment. That was how the story came to be; if I had to boil the film down, it is a love story about two people who have this need for each other, but in a way that keeps that them trapped in their own separate worlds.
A very tragic situation, I think, but one that is common in regular life.
Speaking of which, how did you manage to go about casting? Is there a particular reason why you picked a Caucasian/Eurasian for your female lead? I was lucky to have met my cast! They were both wonderful to work with, incredibly kind and open to ideas.
The Man is played by Donovan Lee, whom I’m told quite regularly appears on television. I don’t really watch a lot of television (no time!) so I don’t know. Donovan was recommended to me by another local actor (who was in my classmate’s short); I called him up and had a chat, and that was that. He was very sensitive and open, and always offering suggestions.
As for the Woman, she is played by Faye Kingslee, who had just come to Singapore from Australia, just a few weeks before the shooting; she had sent me an email because of an audition notice I put up. I had not intended for any particular ethnicity for the role, but I thought she looked very interesting for this role, and she had a very intuitive understanding of the character.
How was For Two made possible? In terms of getting your crew support and financing. Were you offered financial aid to shoot this film? It was a student film, so technical crew were my classmates and great friends at Tisch Asia. I had help from my friends outside of the school on certain days as well, I am really grateful for their help. As for financing of the film, it was a relatively cheap film to make: it was my friend’s apartment, and the equipment was from school. Money was spent on props, wardrobe, welfare for the cast and crew, and of course, that cupboard.
I did think of approaching the SFC for funding, but because of the tight timelines of my own schedule, I could not, and so I decided to use my own resources. This is pretty much common practice in student films, I think, and luckily production costs were quite low. In my next project though, I want to do something larger in scale, so I hope to get some funding!
Nothing is smooth sailing in life, so with the challenges you’ve faced during production, how did you overcome them?
It was a relatively trouble-free set; I had worked with my Assistant Director (AD) to talk about possible problems, and my strategy for shooting the film beforehand, so things could run as smoothly as they could.
One challenge was that I wanted to film the actors on separate shooting days (they never met on the set) – I wanted to achieve a distance between them. But this meant, to get the right performances, they needed to be very imaginative and emotionally accessible, acting alone; this meant I needed time to work with each individual actor to get to that state. I remember stressing my AD out because of the time I took.
The advantage though, was that once the actor is in that state, you no longer have to worry too much about performance. It carries over, and we always ended up catching up to the schedule, and ending early instead! I remember having a laugh with my AD about it afterwards.
Did For Two turn out the way you’ve intended? Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently? They say, in making a film, you make it several times; once with the original idea, another when you write the script, third when you shoot it, fourth when you edit it. I think without exception, by the fourth iteration, it has become quite something different from what you’ve intended. The only thing that a director can do is to try to retain the essence of the original idea, that initial inspiration that started the thing in the first place. With For Two, I am satisfied that this was accomplished.
As for whether or not there was anything I would do differently, I think there are always these sorts of things: a shot here should be higher, the blocking there should be more to he left, etc. I think every filmmaker has these sort of trivial thoughts. At the end though, I have come to the conclusion that the more important question to be asked is this: Does the final film affect the audience in the way you had hoped? It is such a special experience when you connect with the audience, and to that end I have been very encouraged by the reception to For Two. I am grateful for that!
Future plans? Script-wise, I am currently in development for a number of projects, including developing a short film ideas for my thesis film, as well as writing my first feature, about which I am quite excited. It is still the early stages to discuss it, but the script is about a Singapore family whose characters each undergo individual crises, and how the experiences of these individuals affect the family dynamic. What makes a family? I am also now in the process of finishing a short film entitled “The Hole”, that I directed in Japan in January this year, up in the cold mountain-country of Akiruno, an outskirt of Tokyo. It is about the relationship between a middle-aged farmer and his elderly mother, who has an urgent wish for him to find a partner. Please do look out for it!
For Two (二人) competed in the 66th Venice International Film Festival in the Short Film competition (Corto Cortissimo).
The space for original voices in filmmaking.. expect the unexpected! A weekend of mayhem and magic. Fly By Night encourages creativity, absurdity, spontaneity and pure fun...
Bringing together a sizable group of enthusiasts, the objective is to "make the video you have always wanted to make in a weekend". You have one weekend to conceptualise and make your 5-minute video with your 4 friends. All entries are submitted on Sunday afternoon and they screen at the same afternoon.
TO PARTICIPATE Send a completed registration form with a S$25 crossed cheque made payable to "Objectifs Pte Ltd" and mail to 56A Arab Street, Singapore 199753. Payment can also be made in cash at Objectifs (11am-7pm weekdays and 12pm-6pmSaturdays). Registration closes on Nov 13, Sat at 5pm. Receipt of payment is confirmation of participation.
As a 20 minute film in itself, Civic Life: Tiong Bahru probably would not mean anything more for non-denizens of the area than a visual recording of its current occupations. One sees the ubiquitous hawker centre, the showcase of local food, the wet market and its products – these images that have long pervaded the mise-en-scene of most local films, and shown tirelessly on our silver screens. The film even has the characters trudging around with perpetual pensive and troubled expressions, reminiscent of those sorrow-tinged art house films parodies with the protagonists necessarily bearing the tragedy of their insignificant existences. To be harsh, it is easy to dismiss Civic Life: Tiong Bahru at first viewing as some foreign-made film attempting to posit some inchoate idea of a Singapore identity, employing clichéd motifs revolving around our supposed national pastime of eating, and use of type characters like the repressed average Joe trying to rise above his given (hawker) station in life, finding purpose in his alternative dreams to reality. Situating Civic Life: Tiong Bahru in the larger oeuvre of Christine Molloy’s and Joe Lawlor films under their desperate optimists company, however, and within the Civic Life series of film vignettes the London-based filmmakers have made, it becomes clear that the film goes beyond a mere documentation of everyday life in the estate. As the tenth project in the series aimed at reflecting how denizens relate to their communal space, this film made from garnering perspectives of Tiong Bahru residents, does succeed in what it intends to do.
The film is structured as a triptych: three separate stories intermingle in the specific location of the Tiong Bahru estate. A young hawker (played by Leo Mak) desires to progress beyond his inherited coffee shop, to switch from the selling of drinks to Mexican tapas in the Tiong Bahru hawker centre. A grandmother (Lim Ah Way) is unable to tear away from the estate to live with her son’s family. Finally, a juvenile delinquent (Veronica Rio Patrick) searches for a sense of belonging as she navigates awkwardly her relationship with her new foster mother.
If anything, the film that is Molloy and Lawlor’s first Civic Life project outside of the UK, questions our sense of psychogeography - how we negotiate with the space around us in personal and communal ways. The Tiong Bahru food centre forms the main backdrop of the film. At one point, the three characters amble through the crowded food centre, the slow tracking shot of their separate journeys through this communal space shadowing the personal psychic maps people draw for their surrounding environments. The film ruminates on this process and how impossible it is to divorce our notion of a communal space in Singapore from the ubiquitous hawker centre or some form of local food sneaked into the shots, recyclable as these tiring tropes may seem to be.
The idea of a sense of belonging is however approached with ambiguity. Do we gain a sense of belonging by what the place offers us, or is it people in these shared spaces that matter? Unlike the grandmother’s strong attachment to the estate, the juvenile delinquent Veronica steps carefully around the area with the trepidation of a nomad trying to settle down after a life of shuffling around foster families. The relationship between Veronica and her foster mother is somewhat stilted, though also possibly aided by the awkward acting of the latter. Veronica pulls the role off with the natural unease required. For Veronica, the estate seems offers her a sense of belonging mainly through the people surrounding her: her new foster mother, and the friends she hangs out with along the public corridors and walkways of the estate. The specificity of Veronica and her friends communicating in Malay seems however an overdone attempt aligned to contemporary local film allegiance to showcase yet another supposedly distinctive Singaporean feature – the showcase of multiculturality, the diversity of languages and dialects beyond the official language of English. This comes across as being quite stilted, and mean nary a thing unlike another film in the Civic Life series, Moore Street, where the group of friends marching down a street in Dublin to a voiceover mixed with English and Swahili forms a collective identity that displays their distinctive cultural identities and that as migrants.
The character of the grandmother brings through the unavoidable issues of Tiong Bahru’s rich heritage and nostalgia of the community for its history. This is succinctly captured in the depiction of the geriatric’s final decision to inform her son’s family of her inability to move out of the estate where she has lived in for most of her life. What greater difficulty is there than challenging the richness of a sepia-tinted photograph depicting a personal past which Madam Lim whips out during a family dinner at the Tiong Bahru hawker centre? While the actors in this film were generally volunteers and cast from a pool of Tiong Bahru residents themselves, the stiff self-conscious acting was still painful to watch, and this family dinner scene paid testament to that, unfortunately. The dialogue seemed laboriously read off a script and the communal act of eating itself was made strange by the self-conscious movements by the actors.
The third story of Leo’s desire to set up a Mexican tapas stall in place of his drinks stall might seem a random and dubious venture for a place with entrenched fame for its food offerings of debatably best chwee kueh in Singapore and what not (further reinforced by the post-screening reception which showcased famous Tiong Bahru hawker centre offerings). Yet, the idea floated by Leo and his supportive onscreen wife to his bewildered father who owns the stall, may actually reflect the changing realities on the ground with regard to Tiong Bahru and contemporary additions to the historically-rich area. These include Wine Wise and Caffe Pralet at Eng Hoon Street, the patisserie Centre PS at Guan Chuan Street, among other offerings of contemporary Western dining options. Leo’s story situates not only the stereotypical everyday man’s struggle to rise above his inherited status or station in life, but possibly reflects the residents’ concerns over the future possible developments of the Tiong Bahru area.
The biggest problem of Civic Life: Tiong Bahru was something that could not be ignored – the excessive Mandarin voiceover that framed the entire narrative (why Mandarin?). The excess of narration weakened the moments of dramatic impact in the film. It might have helped with the weak acting by substituting impossible dramatic action with an aural account, but the attempt to do so weighed the film narrative down, taking away the dramatic impact of the stories.
Furthermore, the axiomatic tropes do work their traditional symbolic magic but in the attempt to channel these tropes into some form of dramatic tension in the film is where it starts to fray. Dramatic tension in the film is not so much situated with the community’s relationship to their space, but within the characters and their lives. The three central characters are depicted as being at the crossroads of their life, but these crossroads seem to do absolutely nothing in portraying anything significant about Tiong Bahru. Rather, they only seem a cheap attempt to drum up some dramatic tension and to get the bare narrative and characters to progress in an otherwise staid but visually beautiful narrative shot in 35mm CinemaScope (by an all-Singaporean crew no less). The narrative is at its strongest due not to what it posits about Tiong Bahru, but what it reflects. It mirrors what the Tiong Bahru residents view – the communality of food, the sense of belonging to a place rich with history, heritage, and well, a great amount of food.
None of the characters’ struggles are actually resolved, except the grandmother who manages to assert her desire to continue staying in Tiong Bahru. Veronica seems happy, or as her social worker has decided, but her reticence displays a fear of the future and the public façade of ambivalence given her nomadic status. Leo gets to do what he wants with the drinks stall after a consultation with his father, but none of these point to any significance about Tiong Bahru. It is questionable that the personal struggles are to portray the idea of transition and change, or at least if true, are weakly portrayed. Tiong Bahru’s status as a gazetted conservation area makes it doubtful that the heritage of Tiong Bahru will be forgotten or disregarded anytime soon but given the seemingly random decisions made from the top to conserve some areas and to uproot others despite obviously rich heritage, that threat for Tiong Bahru does loom at the fringes. Nevertheless, the attempt to cast issues of Tiong Bahru’s future in the film, is given a final airing in the tiring theme of rebirth at the end, unfortunately manifested in a contrived fashion in a form of a baby surrounded by curious children in a garden, the next generation of Tiong Bahru residents.
Vicki is in her final year of university as a Literature, and Theatre Studies student. Upon graduation, she has plans to continue to freelance and work on her projects such as drawing political cartoons, writing, travelling, and acting. Plans for further studies in the field of film studies and drama are being nebulously concocted.
The Asian Hot Shots Berlin Festival for Film and Video (whoa, that's a mouthful!) is here again. A strong supporter of Singapore films, they turn the spotlight on Singapore this year. The previous was Indonesia. Mathias Ortmann who is a guest writer for SINdie and also for sinema.sg curated this year's crop of Singapore films at this festival. From the number of Singaporeans going there, looks like an Olympic contingent - Royston Tan, Eva Tang, Victric Thng, Ho Tzu Nyen, Lei Yuan Bin, Wesley Leon Aroozoo and many more! I caught up with Mathias to dig some honest opinions about Singapore films.
Jeremy (J): Why the focus on Singapore? There are plenty of robust film movements going around in Asia.
Mathias (M): True, Asia certainly is a world in itself and definitely when it comes to cinema, the wealth of productions and movements is virtually boundless. That is why there is a need for an Asian-themed festival like AHSB to have a focus in the first place, to cast a spotlight on one country, for instance, and work from there. The point is to put quality ahead of quantity and to limit yourself in one area to allow for a more scrupulous and in-depth assessment. Singapore has been a natural choice for us for a number of reasons. Firstly, we have had a strong connection to her filmmaking scene from the start. This isn't a blitz kind of approach but one continuous effort. We've had good entries from Singapore in previous years and I think it is fair to say that given our mission to foster young, independent cinema, we try to do pioneer work in the field. It is a first in Germany - and that's Europe's biggest market! So, it is an adventure; it is a challenge and I'm always one to take on a new challenge when there is something to discover.
Another aspect is that Singapore is struggling as far as communicating a distinct image goes. They call it "uniquely" but no-one really seems to know what that is supposed to mean. Look at South Korea for one, they are very smart in this respect. They have original cultural assets and they understand how to capitalize on it through advancing its film industry. I am not talking about box office success and revenues primarily. But it is important we recognize that filmic expression is more than just the creation of commercial value. How do foreigners relate to another country? Through their people, right? It all comes down to the human element, whether it speaks to you or not. Only the most 'robust' of tourists would enjoy being processed like goods. The rest of us, we want to feel a reality that may or may not be quite different from our everyday. Film is the medium to transport this experience most powerfully.
Now look at Singapore - and try to adopt an outward point of view! The social and cultural dynamics at play are intriguing. A lot is bubbling under the seemingly smooth surface. And I am fascinated by it, I am fascinated by those little fissures and first cracks in the gloss where we get to see something more, something deeper and much stronger than what is seen on billboards or in television ads. As far as the human element is concerned, I think we all can relate to it; it really is universal. But the particulars, the telling detail, need an authentic voice to reveal it and bring it to light. When I see that in a film, the mismatch or any instance of awkwardness, that draws my attention and captivates my imagination because I can see there is some issue that matters to people. At the end of the day film is about reality, the lives we live and the world around us, and that's the funny thing. What fiction do Singaporeans indulge in? Well, I think it worth having a look at her films to give us some clues!
J: How would you characterise/describe the film movement/scene that is brewing in Singapore now?
M:Brewing is the word here. There are many ingredients and no clear, straightforward recipe. So the outcome is uncertain and while sometimes we already get to taste something that is rich and colourful with a strong individual flavour, well, the occasional tasteless bowl can't always be avoided. I think there is a lot of characteristic talent in Singapore, in every department, that just need to become more self-confident and assertive. From what I observe, the obstacles are real but not huge. The problems a Singaporean filmmaker faces today are not unique. Other professionals in other places face similar and oftentimes worse conditions or repression.
I don't see one particular movement as such that one could point to and say 'Look at this, this is completely new and unheard of'. Everybody is confronted with the same challenges and these are to do with questions like: 'Who is my target audience?', 'What is the level of sophistication?', 'Do I have to please everyone?', 'What risks am I ready to take?' - and 'Will I get to make another movie after this one?' The answers folks in Singapore come up with, frankly, are not always convincing. But you can begin to see two major directions that emerge, two lines of approach to solution finding in the matter. One is to stay as close to home as possible, the other is to be outward-bound and 'export-oriented'. Interestingly, I find the more original and daring works to belong to the first kind of films and filmmakers. Perhaps they are closer to their creative centre.
J: I notice that the selection is a mix of the major productions last year and a some really new names in the scene. Could you take us through the curation?
M: You are right, yes. The situation was that AHSB has moved its date back by more than half a year from before. Therefore, we had all of 2009 and 2010, first half, to draw upon. On top of that, since this is the Singapore Focus this year, but a concentrated one, I decided against a retrospective showcasing but wanted to give as wide a range as possible that reflects a very diverse silver screen landscape like I've said. This is what I see, that you cannot pigeonhole Singapore cinema as a whole, label it nicely and say 'This is it!'. That wouldn't be true to the situation. Plus, German audiences are very unfamiliar with productions from Singapore, may never have seen a film from your country and would have a hard time to identify one even while watching.
My approach was to avoid the well-known names. That was a conscious decision, a choice I made. Not to feature the usual festival headliners but to be more inclusive and put the spectacle and the silent cry side by side. If it turns out to be heterogeneous, I am happy!
The end result is eclectic, but in as far as it doesn't narrow down the perspective, I think it is also fairly representative. Clearly there is a preference for art-house over mainstream, for risk-takers over those films that like to play it safe. I am never looking for perfect films, or the ones with the highest production value. There has to be a precise way of expression, something where the images get back to you with force and tell you that there is a will to express behind it all. Some real concern. If it is handled on filmic terms, you know, in a manner that is one with the medium, then it has a soul and interests me. I believe that these are the films, from whatever country, that can move people and impact an audience in a way that is more meaningful than consumption. Also, social themes are very important. A social agenda and societal, let's call it 'uneasiness', be it subtle or outspoken, will definitely add to any film. We are bringing back these films to Berlin, after all, and Berliners are very political in their outlook.
J: What were some of the natural choices and some of the more difficult choices?
M: Ho Tzu Nyen's debut feature, HERE, was a natural choice, and so were "Dreaming Kester" by Martin Hong and "White Days" by Lei Yuan Bin. These were the first set entries on any preliminary list, but for different reasons. What they have in common, for me, is that they are simply 'true' in a very creative way. You can trace influences, of course, and assign them to certain schools if you will. The bottom-line is that they are very individualistic works, each of them, and they are Singaporean to the core. Also, they share a kind of lightness that I love very much and that I think can work to lessen the distance between an audience and the projection, so to speak.
I was looking for films, short or feature-length, that can serve as ambassadors for the Singaporean situation and way of looking at things. Amit Virmani's "Cowboys in Paradise" does two things: it shows that documentary filmmaking is strong in Singapore, and that for some strange reason, they tend to find their subject matter away from home. I find that interesting. As far as the short films are concerned, I noted a rise in quality from last year. My formula for a good short film is simple: it needs to be short and it needs to be film. That's all. And again there are some real gems and some of them we have assembled in our trademark Singapore Hot Shots which I am proud of!
The three competition shorts from Singapore for example, they are very different but all of them are noteworthy. "Baju" by Azhar Shukor was a real discovery and when I see a film like that it makes me hopeful for the future. It is real, it is uncompromising and short. It really has a punch and knows what it wants; a very male piece of film. "Madam Chan" by Wilson Yip is accomplished and mature filmmaking by a seasoned practitioner, you can see it right away. It holds a firm grip on its story line and even the little digressions are purposeful and cogent. "Promises in December" is both emotionally and socially relevant without any ambiguities. It is quite astounding how the film manages to create depth and avoids being fatalistic or sentimental at the same time. You see, these choices, each and every one of them, have to be made based on each film's own merits and achievements. It is an evaluation on a case by case basis - but the selection for a Singapore Focus calls for some form of coherence. If you look at the entire line-up you will see an attempt at striking the right balance between different and equally valid modes of visual expression.
Some choices never presented themselves as some films you may have been hoping for were never submitted; others you couldn't get because of availability or due to screening fees. So you work with what you got and, actually, I am quite happy with how it turned out. I think it is a strong representation of contemporary film from Singapore.
J:How do you think the audience in Berlin will take to 'The Blue Mansion'?
M: I think they will be surprised at a film like that. I don't think that this is what they would expect to come out of Singapore. But, honestly, I don't know. The theatricality of its direction, I think, is something you have to either accept or not. If you reject it you will miss the whole fun of the film. We'll see how it turns out. It certainly isn't standard fare to the cinema aficionado with a penchant for Asian films over here.
J: White Days?
M: 'White Days' is a fine piece of film with meticulous photography and some pristine cinematic moments. I am confident that it will speak to people - and this, the Singapore vernacular exactly, is a challenge that I gladly pose to the Berlin audience. The film is also in competition so we will get a reaction.
J: The Days?
M: Genre cinema has its place and a strong tradition in Asian cinema. "The Days" is a point in case for working within a chosen frame. It is also representative in that it shows how Singapore cinema is not explicit. So I think it will be a discovery as well and that people will enjoy it.
J: I hear from some curators and filmmakers that Singapore has one of the highest number of short films per capita. This is gathered from the number of entries from Singapore at several overseas film festivals. But some say our quantity has become our Achilles heel, with many works being not well-thought through and shoddy in its production. Be honest, do you see that in Singapore films relative to films from our neighbouring countries?
M: It may look like it on first glance. But quantity in itself is just that, a lot of young filmmakers turning out stuff. It is not the reason for low quality in many of them. What it means is simply more work and some painful preview sessions for programmers who are on the hunt for that one really gifted director, the big time discovery. I think it is the advantage you have as Singaporeans that you have such ready access to good professional equipment right from the start these days. If other countries could provide in like measure we would see an avalanche of randomly shot short films from Laos or more of that coming out of Vietnam in a fortnight. It's the entire infrastructure you have at your disposal, including the opportunity to travel to festivals and make contacts overseas, that can help you half of the way. Ultimately, though, only real talent will make it and persist beyond the lucky strike.
Flip through this nifty online AHSB Festival Program here.
J: Do you think we should continue making so many short films or stop the 'trigger-happy' mode and do more quality and less quantity?
M: Of course it has become too easy to make short films nowadays, especially for Singaporeans like I said. But this is the situation and a reality one has to accept. We don't want artificial restrictions, do we? So what is called for is development: the development of a filmmaker hopeful, their personality and their character - so much more essential than mere skill.
I've said it many times before that quality is a matter of appreciating time. It is more of a societal and a cultural fact that Singapore simply is too rush when it comes to projecting an image or to define it. And this reflects in the films we see. If people paid more attention to natural growth and the time it takes to evolve and to mature, I think this would be the key to seeing more developed works emerge. Inevitably there will be lesser and better short films made and this self-defeating sprinter's mentality could be overcome. You simply cannot produce something meaningful by just pressing a button. It doesn't work this way.
But I stick by it, if you comb through the Singapore harvest each year, there always is something that stands out, good quality works that are original and have an impact. The Singapore Hot Shots, I feel, are a point in case.
J: What's all time favourite Singapore film?
M: 4:30 by Royston Tan (see picture below).
Random page from the program..... Porn is available at the festival???
The festival runs from 20 to 24 October in Berlin of course. Check out the festival website here!
Based in Berlin, Mathias Ortmann writes profoundly and intensively about Singapore films. Many of his writings can be found on the Sinema website. This thought piece by Mathias is written exclusively for SINdie.
Sinema's Showoff! series has of late been playing to maximum capacity, and due credit has to be given to Singapore Polytechnic's tireless efforts in keeping the programme alive and kicking - having a team of young, enthusiastic student volunteers sure can do wonders. I have to take my hats off to the curators; I have not been to a single Showoff! session that was badly assembled. Of course there were the occasional weak films, but to be fair this is a platform to raise the profile of budding filmmakers, so I think that is unavoidable.
Following the resounding success and overwhelming reception of the Showoff! series, the team at Sinema and Singapore Polytechnic has conceived of a new programme. Sinema Export! is a newly launched event that will screen award-winning and acclaimed local films that have been supported by Sinema and Singapore Polytechnic at international film festivals and/or curated programmes.
I was down for the pilot Export! session. Billed as Sanif Olek's Love Trilogy, it boasted three of his shorts that have already travelled the film festival circuit extensively. It was heartening to see the entire screening hall filled up, even though I (being my usual cynical self) suspect many amongst the audience were cast and crew members of Sanif Olek's productions. Nonetheless, the crowd made for a more cosy atmosphere. (Though I'd like to digress at this point and say that the guy in front of me who brought his McDonalds meal into the theatre did a damn good job of ruining that because I was incredibly perturbed by the smell of oil and french fries permeating the hall.)
As a self-declared aficionado of (local) film, I am ashamed to say I have never heard of Sanif Olek prior to the event. And yes, shame on me, because after watching those three shorts, it occurred to me how incredibly talented and underrated he is. As a filmmaker, he has an incredibly fresh voice, and he tells his stories with great conviction.
I won't be reviewing the films because Jeremy has already done so previously, but what struck me was how unapologetic Sanif was in setting his faith as the theme and backdrop of several of his films. Many filmmakers are wont to steering clear of such touchy topics, and many who do tackle such issues in their film do so clumsily. Religion can be used so much more than just a source of conflict or a mere coping mechanism in film. Sanif managed to use faith not only as an instrument for his characters' process of self discovery, but also rather deftly taps on religion to elicit laughs. AMEEN is a startlingly good example of how to humour an audience using the idiosyncrasies of religious people, without being crude or insulting. And even though he features heavy quotations of the Qur'an, those portions fortunately do not alienate, but in a really succinct way round off his films brilliantly.
Definitely excited to see more of his future works.
Sanif is currently looking for funding for his new film, currently in the works. You can go to his production company's website, reeljuice to contact him.
Be among the first in Asia to see the RED EPIC camera, powered by the new 5K Mysterium X sensor. Ted Schilowitz from Red Digital Cinema will be in Singapore to show off the EPIC and screen a selection of of RED footage, including some of the latest footage from the MX sensor that will go into the upcoming EPIC camera. 
