TIONG BAHRU, the short film made last year in and around the famous hawker centre and heritage estate in Singapore, is coming out on DVD and SINdie has 10 limited edition copies to give away to SINdie readers.
The film, which explores ideas of memory, place, and belonging and stars 150 volunteers from the Tiong Bahru community was filmed last year by London-based filmmakers Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy.
The DVD also features 19 of the shortlisted films from the Civic Life short film competition WHERE THE HEART IS (read our gradings of the films here), and a souvenir booklet of production shots and essays by poet Alvin Pang, playwright and poet Ng Yi-Sheng and journalist Shzr Ee Tan.
The DVD will NOT be available for purchase (it will be available at libraries only) so this may be the only opportunity you will be able to get your own copy.
For a chance to win, send an email to civiclifefilms@hotmail.com with SINDIE in the subject line by 5.00pm February 28th, 2011.
Winners will be drawn at random and will be notified by email. Good luck!
Also, the film is going on tour around the UK, kicking off in London on Monday 31st January. Tour details can be found here: http://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/ And do check out all of the films in last year’s WHERE THE HEART IS competition.
Those who wish to check out more updates on the film can visit here.
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.
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 curtains have been drawn on Civic Life's Where The Heart Is 90-second film competition and a winner has been picked from the myriad entries depicting life in this island we call Home.
We catch Isazaly Mohd Isa - winning director of Corridor, for a quick chat on his inspirations and hopes for the future.
Q. What are your thoughts on winning the competition?
My thoughts on winning this competition are kind of weird and my feelings are also mixed up like 'rojak'... haha. This is my first time winning the grand prize in a film competition! The last time I got close to winning a related competition was when I got second place in an Art Competition organised by a community centre, when I was 12!
Judging from my reaction to the announcement, I guess my first thoughts were of pure joy and excitement. I was having breakfast with my wife and daughter at Toa Payoh, when my wife asked me whether the competition results were out. I told her that I was not sure and took out my iPhone to check the Civic Life's website. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the results! Instinctively, I jolted off my seat and shouted "I won! I won! Yes!"...and burst into laughter as I showed it to my wife. People around us must have thought I won the lottery or something. Moments after, I received a phone call from British Council’s official-Dan, who confirmed my win and assured me I wasn’t dreaming.
I’m really grateful and happy that my very short film has reached out to many people and captured many hearts.
Q. What was your inspiration for Corridor? Walk us through the journey of producing this film.
3 days before the competition deadline I received a message from an artiste friend, Art Fazil (whose latest album is brilliant by the way...do check it out at your local music store! Haha.. thanks for the heads up, bro!) The brief facebook message reads :
"Maybe this might interest you guys!", and he provided the link.
So I went to the website and there were already a few entries in the gallery. I briefly watched them and the last one I watched was "Dhoby Shop". I remember saying to myself, "I don't think I can do better than them. They have nice stories to tell." And furthermore I have only a few days before the deadline.
A day later, a screenwriter friend of mine asked if I had done anything for the competition. I said "No".
She replied on my facebook, "Buat-lah Zalee (Do it Zalee)! 90 secs, favourite place not too much to work on by Friday. I support you!" These were her exact words I cut and paste here... hahahaha.... she made it sound so easy!
That very same night (2 days before deadline), I decided to embark on ‘where my heart is’. I had the idea for ‘Corridor’ since 2001, when I had the chance to work on Alfian Saat's short stories of the same title-"Corridor" which was being converted into a television series at the time. Reading his stories brought back memories of my childhood and had somewhat inspired me.
I was brought up at a small HDB estate called Farrer Road. And I lived on the 7th floor, which had a common corridor just like my film. It would’ve been great to film it there, but like many old HDB flats, its no longer standing. In fact it is rare to find flats with long corridors these days. However, by luck for this film there is a flat near my house that has the same features as my old flat and so I thought, why not make ‘Corridor’ for this! The original ‘Corridor’ is much bigger scale, so I decided to tone it down and reserve the original for next time.
I borrowed my father-in-law's wheelchair and asked my 8yr old daughter to come along with me for the shoot. We went up to the 16th floor and discovered a nice view. We can even see East Coast beach from there! The corridor however was too narrow as there were potted plants on both sides. So I asked my daughter to pick another floor. She randomly picked 14th!
The 14th floor was perfect. The wheelchair can easily be maneuvered along the corridor. I placed my tripod and consumer HD camera on the wheelchair and the rest was history. By the end of it I had 4 similar but different takes. One with an additional story - but I decided that it was too mellow and finally chose the one you get to watch now.
I will be writing a technical rundown of this on my blog soon and will also share some tips and tricks that I've used: http://isazaly.com
It took me about an hour of shoot, another hour to scribble the story based upon the memories, feelings and emotions that I can still remember during my Farrer Road days, few very late hours of editing the sounds, opening and end credit and the text (with the help of my screenwriter friend earlier :P) to turn it into this little short film called ‘Corridor’ and thankfully managed to upload it in time, just hours before the deadline.
Q. Where do you see the local film industry now? What do you hope to see in the future?
This is kind of difficult for me to answer now, since I'm still "fresh" in the local film scene, but I strongly believe there will be more good things to come.
When I left Singapore in 1994 to pursue film studies in Kuala Lumpur, there wasn't even a film industry. Back then, most of my Singapore friends either wanted to be a graphic designer, an interior designer, a fine artist or a rock star!
There was 4 other Singaporeans who had the same filmmaking dream and ever-since, we had been getting ourselves involved in the whole filmmaking process in Malaysia, right up till now.
When I got back to Singapore a few years back, I notice there has been a lot of growing support in the filmmaking scene, which has a similar model from Malaysia and other countries, such as film grants, film bodies, film school etc. And so, I helped a few friends setup their own production company and start to produce works for television, as a start.
I also got myself few editing jobs for Suria Channel and that was where I met filmmaker, Sanif Olek, who was already making award-winning short films. And I was happy that the Malay community, is also putting up their effort to promote films from Singapore, just like Eric Khoo, Jack Neo and Royston Tan and also witnessing the forming of Singapore Malay Film Society (SMFS), by a group of believers, I have a strong faith that the film community in Singapore, will soon diversify into a bigger, much stronger and multi-cultured film industry, that would one day have its own identity. I still lived to the idea that "culture is the currency of the 21st century."
I remember taking a screenwriting course by Robert McKee and he said, "Asian people have a lot of stories to tell." I do agree, we have a lot of stories to tell but, we don't have that many GOOD storytellers. No doubt, I’ve seen great talents in Singapore (from the entries), but I hope that they would get notice by the industry and guide them in their career path.
And perhaps, one day, I would be in the league of GOOD extraordinary filmmaker, with GOOD stories to tell. [sigh]
Q. Did you watch the 20 finalists' works? If so, which did you find most inspiring?
That was the first thing I did after I was informed that mine was in the Top 20. And when I saw ‘Dhoby Shop’ and ‘When the Day begins’ was in the list, I thought, alamak (Oh no!)…. no chance lah... there goes my camera prize!
‘Remember’ is the most inspiring for me as it plays with old photos and it presented the exact real location. When I look at old photos I always wonder what it’s like if I was in the picture and I’m a nostalgic fool you see, so it got me there.
Q. You've won a trip to the Encounters Short FIlm Festival in Bristol, UK. Any expectations you hope to bring with you?
Winning this trip was totally unexpected! I wanted the camera. Badly! Out of topic, but the funny thing about this scenario is that my screenwriter friend, who pushed so hard for me to do this actually has a home in Bristol and her husband is there now (perhaps laughing away as he reads this!) Hahaha… the irony.
I’m really looking forward to the Encounters Film Festival at the home of BBC Bristol and Aardman Animations! I love Aardman’s work and almost became an animator myself. it is a good avenue for me to meet more filmmakers from other countries, sharing ideas and perhaps collaborate in the future. I have been to various film festivals before, either as an audience or with a film that I was directly involved in and had always come back with new friends and perspectives. I expect to bring back more stories, ideas, memories and emotions to share with my audience.
Oh and also to search for a this street-artist named ‘Banksy’. Wonder where I can find him...
Over the last few days, many people have been tuning into the Civic Life website by the British Council to check up on the Top 20 entries in the 'Home is where the Heart is' competition. SINdie could not resist 'playing God' a little with our review of the 20 films vying for the top prize. So here our 'critical analysis' of the films. We have also created a little rating system as well. So the films are rated in the following 5-point scales in this order:
Is it creative? Does it engage you emotionally? Impressive technicals? The X-factor ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jeremy (J): Dhoby Shop is a sweet, homely film, appearing like an Indian take on Royston Tan sentimentalism. It's 2.5,4,3.5,3.5 for me.
Alvin (A): To me, it'll be 3, 4,3,4.
J: Sounds like it's one of your favourites
A: Not really, I just think it executed its ideas really well. Particularly its sentiments on the age-old traditions. And the narrator's ideas of its continued place in his heart even with modernization and his own study plans.
J: What struck me most about the film was when the camera zoomed in on the impeccably ironed sheets of cloth…They look like sheets of paper
A: Yes agree with that... it struck a chord with me too. The immaculate folds just seems to bring out the point that some things are worth preserving...I like how he links that to his own plans and ideologies
J: The next film has the longest title in the Top 20. There is a lot going into it as well. Mixed bag of issues and undertones.
A: Yup, doing it in a fresh take as well through animations and metaphors. I rate it 4,2.5,4,4. (pause) Would have to say the stand-out factor for me was more the execution than the narrative itself though.
J: 2.5 for obvious reasons! It has a deliberate dead-pan style of narrating story, a very tongue-in-cheek brand of satire. The plot is actually very simple and linear. It just puts a Singapore social issue into a make-believe context and gives it an entertaining twist. It's a4.5,3,5,4.5 for me. (pause) In fact, it is one of my most memorable pieces. Creativity almost gets a 5 from me except that....
A: ?
J: I saw a similar concept in another short film… deadpan style with a bit of vocal swagger and simplistic animation like this.
A: Perhaps due to the narrator not sounding local, I'm just wondering if the take on matters is a little skewed due to the fact that he sees elements of Singapore culture that typically evade the rest of us. ie. how the fusion of foreign influences "dampen" the existing ideologies, comfort and culture..
J: I don’t think it evades us. Does it? There had been so much debate about the overflowing of foreigners in Singapore and how it is usurping our claim to the economic and social pie…(pause) Anyway, it must be applauded for being different. Is it one of your favourites?
A: Yes, in terms of its execution and like you say, its out-of-the-box take.
J: Where my Heart Was is a bit of a strangely structured film its mix of being poetic and plain-speaking at the same time.
A: Yes, to be honest it didn't quite come off for me. How do you rate it?
J: 1.5, 2,2.5, 2.
A: Mine is 2.5, 2, 2.5,2.5.I see the sentiments are similar. I guess the key missing element is engagement with viewers' empathy on the subject, at least with me. What are your gripes about it?
J: I think the filmmaker cannot decide what he wants - to document an event? to wax lyrical about a happening? a visual tour of concrete textures and shapes? It's all mashed into one.
A: Drawing on the synopsis, I think it's supposed to be a contemplative on collective condo sales in Singapore. But honestly I feel the subject theme itself is a hurdle to engaging any kind of emotions or accessibility. (pause) And the supposed metaphorical scenes and climactic scores just serve to confuse the viewer more, like you said.
J: You hit it right on the nail... It is really a condo sales theme in disguise. (long pause)
I feel that's the challenge of the cinematic language. Many people draw inspiration from daily affairs that they see or read in the papers. But when creating a film out of it, it needs visual and narrative translation. (pause) Watching this film is like seeing those 'word for word' Chinese to English translations in movies.
A: True, and perhaps a need for a greater sense of what the film needs to elicit from the viewer.
J: It's like how do you articulate 7% goods and services tax in a cinematic way?
A: Moving on, I have to put 'Portsdown Road' as another worthy gem in the competition.
J: Yes, it is different and not in a deliberate or unnatural way
A: The way the filmmaker fuses different elements, from dialogue to old photographs to moving shots, in piecing together his scrapbook of memories works a certain magic. It’s a 4,4, 4.5, 4.5 for me.
J: You know, in seeking to start some healthy debate out of this dialogue, I think we ended up agreeing on so many points. And I feel it just proves that the fundamentals of what makes a good film are universal and objective
A: Well I guess perhaps it's because essentially these are just 90-second works, which come to think of it, has little middle ground. It either works for or against the filmmakers. It's as if they have to make an impression. Or simply not.
J: That's an excellent point! (pause) Mine is a 4,4.5,3.5,5. A case of the sum being more than its parts. (pause) I really like how underlying the whole strangeness of the photo-vocal account juxtaposition, is a progression towards something…while being transported by the photos into a sepia-tinged 70s, you are also guessing that something will be revealed at the end…which was the grown up son manning the camera. A nice poignant closure.
A: Yes, though I have to say that some parts in the beginning did elude me – i.e. the dialogue implying the lack of photos documenting his growing-up years...but the old photos shown later.
J: To be honest, there were lots of subtle references in the narration, I did not pay attention enough to notice the details.
A: Perhaps like you said, it's a case of the sum being more than its details. Must say the use of bubbles really worked a metaphorical and cinematic magic though, especially in the ending scene.
J: That's why I feel filmmakers do not necessarily try to justify every visual element they put in a film. The audience will find themselves a meaning somehow
A: 'The Queenstown Secret' seems an interesting one. Intriguing in its seeming intention to reveal something in the closet but not quite saying what. How did you find it?
J: I liked all of it, its baffling quality, its tenderness, its whimsical quality. It gets a 4, 4.5, 2.5, 4from me.
A: 3.5,2.5,3,3.5.
J: Big difference between how you and I 'feel' about it. I happen to think it stirs my imagination and massages my memory.
A: I think baffling is the best word for me to describe it. Not to say it doesn't work, it does put you in the mode of its contemplative nature and press you to unearth more.Sounds like it engaged you emotionally. How so?
J: I liked how it drew upon the actor's nuanced acting and the simplicity of the plot. The boy represents some kind of fragment of her past, something she yearns for and chases only to know it could only keep her company for a fleeting moment. Memories... that's what they, fleeting... and always sweet for as long as they last. (pause) And why does it not do anything for you emotionally?
A: It's probably because its seemingly esoteric meaning continues to elude me more than anything else. Nevertheless the intrigue that there is something more to it leaves a poignant impression. It was interesting how the transition of the girl's life was managed, that even though one may not get the gist of the film, you sense there's an underlying theme of coming out of the crossroads she finds herself in.
J: Question for you: in all 20 films, did any of the locations/places hold special meaning for you?
A: (Contemplates for a long time) I would say probably Little India in 'When the day begins..' and East Coast Park in 'Small Paradise'
J: Why?
A: In both places it triggers a sense of the familiar, but yet there are so many unseen elements and unfelt emotions.. until these 2 filmmakers brought it out.
J: Wanna guess what's mine?
A: Sounded like one was The Queenstown Secret...and the other, Miniature Town: Potong Pasir?
J: Haha, your 6th sense is good. You got one right. It's Queenstown and the playground. I shall make no secret that I used to pass by this playground as a kid and a teen. (pause) My family always makes regular trips to the Queenstown market for the famous Chicken Rice and I always remember my Dad playing The Beatles in the car en-route to Queenstown.
A: Wow sepia memories...
J: Not exactly sepia, it was the late 80s. It was something I had a fondness for before the school week starts again. And there are many times my parents would be doing grocery shopping in the NTUC Fairprice supermarket and I would wait outside staring at the playground...
Over the last few days, many people have been tuning into the Civic Life website by the British Council to check up on the Top 20 entries in the 'Home is where the Heart is' competition. SINdie could not resist 'playing God' a little with our review of the 20 films vying for the top prize. So here our 'critical analysis' of the films. We have also created a little rating system as well. So the films are rated in the following 5-point scales in this order:
Is it creative? Does it engage you emotionally? Impressive technicals? The X-factor ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jeremy (J): So I am looking at the thumbnail of the karom board and pieces and thinking.... not another foreign worker story. (pause) I mean the the Karom was a giveaway... who plays Karom these days?
Alvin (A): Haha, that's sharp. I didn't figure it out till I read the synopsis. J: But thankfully for that 90 secs of Little India, it's not too bad. It gives you a comfortable glimpse of the chaos in Little India. Strangely in the way it shot its subject and its choice of activity, Little India seemed more…pretty. How do you score this? A: 3,3.5,3,3.5 J: Pretty level. Any thoughts? A: I particularly like the way it starts off at the day's end...because that's when they disappear from the construction sites and places you often see them, to a place where they feel a deeper sense of "home". J: I agree. The night-day reversal had a good point. A: Must say it does engage the emotions, perhaps because it brings out the little-seen daily routines of these almost-nocturnal group of people. (pause) How do you rate it? J: For its eye on unexpected beauty, creativity gets a 3, for its lyrical portrayal of their daily routine, 3.5, technicality does not surface as a feature probably because it is fuss-free documentation, so that's a 2.5. Overall, it gets a 3.
A: I like how the filmmaker makes a conscious effort to make a tribute at the end - "For the migrant workers - who put their hearts into our homes" ...fleshes out the emotional and authenticity of the film. J: To put it in a cliche, it is a whimsical look at migrant workers A: I see it as more than that actually...the emotional elements reminds me a little of a film by the renowned Taiwanese director Tsai Ming Liang - 'I don't want to sleep alone'.
J: Moving ahead, Mandarin Gardens is home-video made to look exquisite A: Haha well put, got to agree with that assessment though. How do you rate it? J: It's a 2,2.5,3.5,2 for me. A: Mine's is a 2,2.5,2,2.5. (pause) That's a pretty high score for technicality. J: High? I bet they have a mean camera ok. HD, telephoto lens, aperture/contrast control and all. A: Personally I felt the unsteady cam served more of a distraction than its assumed intention to bring out the candour of the "home vid" J: What do you think of the narrative or the content? A: The dialogue felt scripted at times, though must add the candid shots were a nice touch to even that out...content felt a little shallow for me. How about you? How did it work on an emotional level for u? J: There was something strange about the set up of the video. I think it's meant to be spontaneous, yet there was a palpable sense that the women were acting it up a bit. There is a strong middle-class corporate executive undertone to their delivery and sensibilities. (pause) For the warmth and wholesome goodness of home that I am supposed to feel, I felt it was a little bland. A: (On the strong middle-class tones) Hmm well to be fair, Mandarin Gardens isn't what one would call Heartland-ish J: Haha. Don't you think it's strange nobody wants to watch the middle class on screen. People like either people at the pits or the rich and vulgar. (pause) Eerrm.... actually I just answered my own question! A: Haha!
J: Miniature Town Potong Pasir gets a 4,2,5,3.5 from me.
A: This film's an interesting one.. it gets 4,2,4.5,3 from me. Wow but we finally got our first 5!
J: Yes. Perfect execution of the dioramas here. A: Impressive technicality and creativity, especially seeing the town in miniature models. But how do you think it came together overall? J: It intrigues me! It works on so many layers. Visually, it compels your attention. It's certainly a labour of love. In fact, almost too good for the scale of this competition. I wish the film lives a long life. A: I personally felt that besides the "technical showmanship" as it were, the film felt a little fragmented. For example, I didn't quite get/feel the accompanying Japanese soundtrack and thought it disengaged a little with the overall themes. A: Why just 3.5 for X-Factor then? You sound like it impressed on a greater level. J: I feel on visuals alone, it's marked out its turf clearly and it's a solid one. But I agree about its fragmented feel. And come to think of it, it does not really answer the brief. It is clear this one's all out to impress and I'm impressed! (pause) By the way, do you think there is any siginificance to it using a diorama? A: I felt it was to tie in with its "a day in little Potong Pasir" theme... How did you see it? J: In what way was it a tie in? A: Perhaps in surfacing the fact (as stated in synopsis) that it's one of the smallest estates in Singapore? J: Yeah, that's why I found it to be very creative. In fact, I wondered if there was any political reference intended in the way it made Potong Pasir into something anomalous A: How so? J: Well, given that Potong Pasir belongs to a different political party, the treatment of the film seemed to be to put it under a different set of lenses…zooming in on details and blurring out the rest of PAP-owned Singapore!
J: You know, I am really itching to you how you would score the next clip I am Home I am usually a contrarian and I avoid siding popular opinion. But I give in this time A: It's another add to my "favourites" shortlist.. 4,4,4.5, 5.
J: I have a 5 somewhere, can you guess? A: I would say X-factor (?) J: That’s just one. It's a 5,4,5,5.
A: Talk about standing out from the crowd, 'I am home' is definitely one to remember from the 20 competition films…not just in execution and impressive technicals, but the humour element is such a refreshing touch... Curious, why the lower score for emotional aspects? J: I feel there is always a trade off between poignancy and how scripted the film is. This is scripted to the frame. But executed with precision of course. Good thing they went with humour and not melancholy or nostalgia. A: Thought so, I would say the script is well-written to flesh out the narrator's emotional journey... and I guess that added dimension - fact that it's not just a physical homecoming but an emotional one as well - really engages the viewer…Self-deprecating humour FTW! J: You know the idea is almost seamless to me... I will challenge to pick out the flaws. What are they and how would you make it better if that's possible? A: It would be nitpicking, but in a way you could say the script was over-sapping the homecoming journey...and you? J: His presenter personality... he sounds too perfect. Using the same idea with an average Joe would resonate more with me
A: The Stone Table is one lesson in straining your ears... Mine is a 2,2,2.5,2 A: The direction and treatment as well actually... but maybe not so much a strain as a cringe. Interesting choice of language used in the narration, in short felt it over-glorified the theme. What are your ratings? J: It's a 2,2,2, 2. (pause) I personally felt it was over-intellectualising and the idea stood on wobbly ground. The most interesting thing in the film is a (probably) intended detail - the strewn plastic at the side. A: Yeah I was wondering why that too J: I surmise that it is probably deliberate because it remained there after the boys left the void deck, making a subtle statement A; Yup, perhaps a slight touch to give the shot more authenticity J: But was it there as an ode to ‘American Beauty’ or even worse, an oversight of the Art Department! A: Haha, it wasn't swirling in the wind though...Perhaps more the latter then.
Over the last few days, many people have been tuning into the Civic Life website by the British Council to check up on the Top 20 entries in the 'Home is where the Heart is' competition. SINdie could not resist 'playing God' a little with our review of the 20 films vying for the top prize. So here our 'critical analysis' of the films. We have also created a little rating system as well. So the films are rated in the following 5-point scales in this order:
Is it creative? Does it engage you emotionally? Impressive technicals? The X-factor ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alvin (A): Dancing on Waterloo St gets a 2,2,3,2.5 Jeremy (J): When do we see a 5? A: Haha! (pause) Title feels like a bit of a misnomer as first half of the film was on anything but Waterloo Street. J: I kinda like this one for its visuals really (pause) Why 3 for technicality? A: Decent music accompaniment and nice shots and cinematography. Though have to say it barely adds much to the film. J: Mine is a 4 for technicality. The telephoto, dolly and tracking shots are executed with such grace. So it’s 2, 3,4,3.5. (pause) For me, it’s a 3 for emotional quality because it marries a stirring score with epic-like visuals quite well. A: Yup, though I felt there was little continuity from one place/scene to another. Generally felt a little too detached for my liking. J: I agree that the content of the shots don't add up to a cohesive narrative. A: That said, I liked how the ending was put together. Beautiful shots of normally-stoic faces come alive in dance. With the music accompaniment, it does stir the emotions like you said. J: It seems like a hobbyist approach to making the film - David goes around with his expensive machine capturing random moments of beauty without a plot and strings them into visual sequence. (pause) Sometimes, it's hard to strike a balance between a organic approach like David's and single-mindedness of a scripted approach so you may miss out on accidental beauty, like the faces that came alive in dance. (long pause) What do you think of the shot when Quan Yifeng's face on the bus whizzed pas the trishaw rider? …….It happens to be my favourite shot. A: Hmm, I didn't notice it much honestly. What do you think it added to the film? J: It was a moment of transcendence. It was like Quan Yifeng, a feisty public figure known for her keen eye on social matters and inter-personal relationships was looking at the trishaw rider. (pause) But that's just my things with Quan Yifeng.
J: Paintings happens to be my favourite clip title becaise of the pun and the metaphor, though the film then slipped into becoming very literal. (pause) My scores are 3.5,2.5,3,3. A: That's interesting. what do you think the pun/metaphor was? (pause) My scores are 3,2,2.5and 3 by the way. J: I think it is very clever and the use of the word suggests the idea of a veneer which really applies on a social, psychological and even political level. And I always saw HDB flats as a PAP political icon in their blocked, rigid shapes, so the concept of painting over a HDB flat bore an intellectual kick for me. (pause) What do you see in Paintings honestly? A: I actually did a double-take in "creativity" because initially I didn't understand what the filmmaker was getting at. I noticed then perhaps there was a metaphorical element in the "renewal" of the block's facade, especially in shots contrasted against the "showy" commercial buildings in the distance. (pause) It's also worth noticing how the filmmaker makes meaning out of an otherwise seen as mundane activity. Perhaps it makes you see a block upgrading programme in new light. J: But does it engage you or is it just a 'oh that's smart!' fleeting thought? A: It didn't work much on a emotions level with me. Perhaps like you said, it drifting into the literal made it lose some of its lustre. (pause) What do you think? Did it engage you? J: Only when the film opened and the titled was flashed.
Corridors from Isazaly Mohamed Isa in Vimeo
A: How did you find Corridors then? J: Ingenious, inspiring and in a league of its own. (pause) Let my numbers talk : 4.5,3.5,4,4. A: Wow. (pause) Mine would be 4,2.5,3.5,3.5. (pause) How did you find the narrative as a whole? J: It was toying with the concept of using sound to redefine a banal everyday space. Not much narrative except for a certain sequence of different genres to the sounds that are stringed together. I thnk what I enjoyed about watching it was the fact that it was a very simple idea executed to precision and that simplicity triggers a mental off-shoot or escapade. A: Must agree its impressive and original creative flair sets it apart from the competition. However it did leave a tingling feeling that it dragged on for more than it should have. And somehow drifted into what felt like a contrived attempt to end it. Nevertheless it's certainly the most well-executed film so far in the collection. J: Well, it's a slow burn... forces you to observe and take in the details. (pause) If you preferred it not to drag on for that long, how would you have done it differently? A: In a way the conceptualization of the corridor as simply a place of memories didn't come off that well for me, as it looked very much still a place with life. Thus maybe it might have left a better impression/memory with a more conceivable ending in light of the fact that it's still got life left in it...rather than the seemingly hopeless end it seemed to portray. J: I didn't see the film as trying to pitch the corridor as a place of memories. It was quite a mixed bag of sounds, some even sounding like someone was watching Saving Private Ryan. So I saw it more as playing with sound and perceptions.
J: You know, after watching Corridors, I felt I was not going to be impressed with 'Swing Me Back' form its thumbnail shot.It looked pretty standard. But I was wrong. It delivered good old nostalgia but with a little visual twist - the writing animation over the photos, giving it a very personal and sincere touch. A: Besides good use of the said swing as a plot device, it felt a little bare. What’s your score? J: 3,4,3,3.5. A: Mine’s 3,2.5,2.5,3. No doubt that the visual touches made it feel like a walk through memory lane, but I must say I wasn't too emotionally-engaged by it. (paused) what were the emotional triggers for you? J: It was simple portraits of family, which I found easy to identify with. And the photos really captured the family members were 'freezed' in honest and sometimes vulnerable moments. What do you not identify with? A: Perhaps because of the film's centering on the inanimate swing and old photographs, it didn't quite engage in a way the raw candidness of the photos did for you. J: But didn't you find anything special about the pictures? A: Well, I thought the metaphorical use of the swing was well executed as it formed almost-the centerpiece of all the old photographs, in that forms the emotional attachment for me. J: For me, it was special because it featured an Indian family captured in sepia tinged yesteryear images - something done to death with Chinese families in local films. So it present a different track of history and nostalgia peculiar to Indian families and seen through the eyes of an Indian.
A: There is a close tie between Home and Corridors for my favourite film so far. One of few films which I felt had more to offer than pensive reflections of a bygone era. (pause) So, I am giving it a 3,4,3.5,3.5. J: I like it but it is a little low on creativity. Mine’s a 2.5,4,3.5,3.5. (pause) I felt it answered the competition brief like how the model pupil in class would write a grade a composition….stuck by the rules... kept within parameters... safe... relevant….and conventional. A: I must say some parts did feel a bit premeditated, especially the dialogue which didn't quite convince the point that the narrator had lived there so many years. And when I compare the narrator's delivery with that of 'Remember', I do see the contrast of emotional engagement between both. J: Really? I felt the narration was quite sincere, even though the structure was very scripted. I still felt I was listening to a friend speak about her growing up experience. In fact, I felt the narration in 'Remember' though honest, but was a tad clumsy. A: Is it due to the fact it's spoken in heartland mandarin? J: No. I think the narrator is quite at ease with herself. Perhaps the tone of voice and choice of language made it more accessible than it might have been. (pause) I appreciate the personal touches like showing where she waited for the school bus though it could be a little less literal. I also found that she had a trained pair of hands in the cinematography, being able to emotionally heighten some moments like skirting around a pillar in the coffeeshop. A: Good spots. Agree that it generally gave a sense of heartland authenticity, in part due to language used, in part due to the cinematography. J: You said this is 'more than pensive', how so? A: It felt more forward-looking, as if the past was just a conduit to where the narrator is now...ending off with a view to the future in the said place.
Over the last few days, many people have been tuning into the Civic Life website by the British Council to check up on the Top 20 entries in the 'Home is where the Heart is' competition. SINdie could not resist 'playing God' a little with our review of the 20 films vying for the top prize. So here our 'critical analysis' of the films. We have also created a little rating system as well. So the films are rated in the following 5-point scales in this order:
Is it creative? Does it engage you emotionally? Impressive technicals? The X-factor ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alvin (A): ‘Small Paradise’ gets a 2.5,3,2.5and3. Jeremy (J): For me, it is a2,4,3 and 2.5. (pause) By the way, all pretty dismal scores. A: Perhaps because its intentionally simplistic nature (to capture elements of childhood) falls short of engaging too much emotion? J: I on the other hand felt something warm and comforting in that simplicity - the shots of seaweed, water, sunshine.... all very unassuming, yet charming.. hence the title ‘Small Paradise’. A: Well noted. I like how the title fits in with the film's concept as well.. i.e. small memories in small "paradise". J: Exactly... but having said that. it is forgettable amongst the entire stable of 20 films cos it is about little everyday moments (which can be captivating) but the images were pretty cliché in this film. A: Agreed. Perhaps its theme/angle is its Achilles heel then - a tad too whimsical to be etched in the mind. J: Whimsy is ok... but bad for online competition... the Youtube audience loves to be entertained.
A: Moving on, ‘One’ gets a 3,4,3,and3.5. J: For me, it is a 2,2,2,2. A: Wow, sounds like you don't fancy it much. J: You read me... explain your scores. A: I like how it starts out with the shot/description of the nondescript building and moves on to its deeper significance to the protagonist's life. J: I agree ... nice progression. (pause) However, if you look at it critically, the idea is in their hobby, which technically is not part of the process of making the film. A: Well, I still like it better than the first perhaps because it leaves a stronger sense of attachment, through the transition from the inanimate (building/lion head, dance) to a deeper emotional level that brings out the desire of the couple in them wanting to fulfill each other's dreams and desires. That sense of "sweetness" hooks me in. J: You are so wanting to get married .... lol A: In absolutely no rush at all. On your point about the hobby, I am not sure if it's their "hobby" or something they (or the husband/narrator in particular) had to go out of his way to do in order to fulfill his wife's unconventional wish. (pause) Perhaps also the fact that it's such an unconventional/peculiar request that makes the memory of this film stick out. I mean who would think of "marrying" (pardon the pun) lion dance and a wedding ceremony? J: Well... whatever works to make you remember... but just does not hit the right emotional notes in me. A; I thought it could have been better if the narrator (assumed protagonist) accent was expanded on. Sounds like he isn't local and would have brought an interesting dimension to the culturally-Chinese thing he's doing. Would it have made a difference for u? J: I think the accent made the video very foreign to me.So yes, totally makes a difference for me.
A: My scores for Boxes and Lines are 3,2,2,and3. J: 4,1,2,2.5 for me. I gave creativity a 4 for its bold direction. (pause) It stands out from the rest for its strong grip on a visual metaphor. But it falters on all the other aspects. Most of all, they need a better narrator. A: Agreed. I like how she parallels her sport passion with something probably more familiar to females - relationships. Just reading the synopsis, I was convinced it was something about relationships! J: Yes... straights lines and circles and trajectories…says so much about relationships! A: The choice of shots seemed a little myopic to me too. Football is as much a spectator sport (read: couch potato) as a physical sport but there wasn't any emphasis on that. J: I like how you used the word myopic. (beat) In fact, the cinematic breadth is very limited and it constricts our view of her world. On another note, I also feel I don't have to explain the low score on technicals. The camera was shaking 80% of the time. A: Bringing up your point on the narrator earlier, why do you think it could do with better? J: She is expressing using a lot of heavy angsty words but her delivery sounds very level-headed and bland. So she needs to make those words come alive. (pause) I think the upbeat, synthetic-sounding music works against her content as well. A: I'm just thinking whether it could be attributed to the fact it's a male-dominated sport and thus the composed, non-emotive bassy tones. J: Yes..... I am picturing her with extremely short hair with an affinity for pants.
Remember from Tang Kang Sheng on Vimeo.J: ’Remember’ gets a 2, 3.5,3,3.(pause) The thumbnail grabbed my attention because it featured something deeply personal. But I felt he could have done a lot more with the old photographic gems. A: I assume that contributes to the 2 in creativity then. J: I mean he could have done more with those old gems. A: I give it a 2.5,4,3and3.5. J: It affects you emotionally I see. A: Yup. I think that's the key takeaway for me in ‘Remember’. (pause) I like how the narrative starts and ends, it divulges a little on the narrator and sounds like he's a bad state. Quote: "As you grow older, you tend to do things you......really regret". Though on the surface it seems so little what present choices/mistakes have to do with his past or with his grandparents, it somehow affects him enough to link it. I love how the narration ends as it started, a pensive look at his life and desire to set it right because of his past. J: I like how the narration is very sincere. No, raw is a better word. (beat) It's a totally untrained voice that is speaking from the heart. The only pity is the speech rhythm and inflexions seems out of sync sometimes. A: Yeah I agree on the fact his voice/tone was so raw and untrained. As if it were unscripted…and it was a plus to the authenticity for me. J: But it's a double-edged sword. The rawness also makes the clip less punctuated…I remember fragments but I don't register a story. A: That has a strange appeal to me in some way. The narrator brings out enough to imply there are undercurrents but makes one wonder what they are and how they tie in to his past. (pause) It's almost like the viewer is given fragments to piece the puzzle together, though obviously there are many missing pieces. J: Well, strange is the word. It feels incomplete, raw, a little unsteady, clumsy but you know… perhaps its gaps reinforce the idea of a void.
A: ‘The Tree’ gets a 2,2,2,2. J: Wow, that says a lot! A: Haha, unfortunately the film doesn't. J: I am going with 1,2,1,2. (pause) It is strange it got into the top 20. The only thing of note (i.e. the narrative) was in short, the clip is overly poetic, scripted, and way overdone for my liking. J: Poeticism-overkill. A: Also there was little, if any congruence between the narrative and the shot. "Red berries...squirrel scambering.." But all one sees is a nondescript looming tree barely of note. (pause) At times it seemed the disoriented camera was confused of what to capture and I don't think you can expect the viewer to be any more enlightened. J: Yes, it's a strange case of the words serving the visuals rather than the visuals serving the words. And the shots were very literal too, giving the impression of poet making a clumsy cross-disciplinary crossover.
To be continued with Part 2, 3 and 4...
(What do you think? Share your views with us below.)
