Shooting on a Bed of Straw

Was Chris Yeo masturbating his brains out when he made 'In the House of Straw'? (My apologies if the opening remark is scalding.) The filmmaker is indeed unabashedly challenging its viewers by making them sit through a 2 hour long experiment like this. Therefore, he should be expecting a strong reaction. ‘In The House of Straw’ is a film that would seriously divide the camp into people who will applaud its subversion of all narrative and cinematic rules and people who will be crying for help in its quicksand of indulgence. 

The film takes the children’s tale of the 3 Little Pigs, translates it into a modern day Singapore context and builds a web of thematic extensions from it, mostly tinged with a mock-moralistic slant. It is mock-moralistic in a sense that the series of events seem to invite you to interpolate some kind of message or moral (as the fairytale ‘base’ of the film would suggest). Yet, scenes later, something else happens that refutes or disorientates the message. It’s no fun to cock-teased for 2 hours and get nowhere from where you began.

For the benefit of those who have yet to watch, ‘In the House of Straw’ begins with the story of Zhiwen who is at the cusp of his school summer break. Sick of staying at home with his parents, he decides to live out on his own. Strangely, he found a place with 2 bicycle thieves of his own age and decides to live in with them. These 2 boys who get money from selling stolen bikes live their lives in a capsule, oblivious to the tunes of society at large. The capsule is not exactly surreal or unfamiliar. It has the atmosphere of university rebels who choose to skip class, live on the edge and indulge in a lot of inconsequential intellectual banter.

In this realm where the conventional rules of life are eschewed, Zhiwen has not exactly found the utopia that he seeked. When the party is over and the beer has settled in his stomach, the hidden catches of the deal start to surface. The boys have their own issues and prejudices (including misogyny). And in the culture that they create, Zhiwen seems to have merely gotten himself into another world as imposing as his family. Epitomising the esoterism of the 2 boys is their trip to Haw Par Villa. 2 local boys who steal bicycles making a contemplative, introspective trip here? It is hard to make sense out of it except to conclude that the all 3 boys in the story and their adventures are really the inner musings and fetishes of the director played out. 

It is a handful of inclinations if you pay attention. There is of course, the fascination with Chinese mythology in the Haw Par Villa episode. There are strong visual references to Christianity with even close ups of biblical statues. There is that capricious reenactment of the yellow brick road scene from the Wizard of Oz in which the costumes are reinterpreted using household items like straw, mops and aluminium foil. Off the Christian track, it also meditates the issue of creation and rebirth, with a visual reference to a Tibetian fabric painting of the 6 realms of existence in Buddhism.

As much as this is a highly contemplative film, it is driven by its rich and layered visuals as well. The visuals are rich not in their colour or filmic qualities. It is hardly a pretty film. They are rich because of the double entendres and metaphors inherent in them. One classic scene is when the camera fixates on the face of the statue of the Goddess of Mercy, followed by an utterance of the word ‘Ma’ by the bicycle thief who professed to be a school dropout. This lends a wryly humourous touch to kind of reverence many Chinese people have always paid to the ubiquitous Goddess of Mercy or Kwan Yin (in fact, recently popularized by the movie 12 Lotus). Another clever visual metaphor is the scene of the amusement park. This is juxtaposed with musings on life and death. The visuals are particularly appropriate because we see people hurled up and down or following the circularity of the ferris wheel’s journey, like having the motion encapsulating the highs and lows, the surprises and the trappings of life itself. 

Unfortunately, these philosophical gems are but isolated moments that do not add up to give the film a strong and definite voice. The mood of contemplation adds up throughout the film, in fact, sometimes even veering towards the eerie and the suspenseful. But the ideas and the points don’t add up. I would risk guessing that perhaps an overall point was not important to the director Chris but more the intellectual journey in making this film. So in fact, in making this ‘yellow-brick-road-movie’, Chris was himself on his journey of discovering and making sense of life. It helps to know that Chris was pursuing a degree in Philosophy during the span of the year (or 2?) that he was piecing the film together.

This in mind, can his 2 hours of indulgence be justifiable? Perhaps. A filmmaker’s personal and highly esoteric journey can certainly be an excuse for a film. There is even some form of a structure to this journey (which does not owe too much to the story of the 3 Little Pigs)... Zhiwen leaves school at the beginning of the film… goes through a deep dark journey… through his journey, we learn about the world of the 2 bicycle thieves which gradually get more interesting than that of Zhiwen…and so on (so as not to spoil the film). It ends back in the same spot in the school campus except that the school dropout’s decided to return to school. But point of this journey is mostly lost through the lack of accessible reference points or characters that we can identify with. It is paradoxically local yet alien. There are noticeable entry points into the psyche of the characters but in the very next instance, you lose grip of them when the director decides to reshuffle the cards. Masturbating is often a fulfilling experience in a personal realm. However, when you watch someone else masturbate, it is a subjective experience in which you are either seriously entertained or painfully disturbed.

To be fair, here's Chris's personal take on his own film - recorded during the 23rd Singapore International Film Festival.

Silver Screen Awards 2010 'Special' Performance

At the SIFF Silver Screen Awards last night, this was the greatest SHOCKER of the evening - the special performance by a band called 'A Mouthful of ......' (I can't remember the exact name). Do turn down the volume before you play.

Silver Screen Awards - the Results!

Here are the winners of the Singapore International Film Festival 2010 Shorts Competition.

Best Short Film - Promises in December
Best Director - Elgin Ho (Promises in December)
Special Mention Prize - Life with Ummu
Best Performance - Li Xie (Mu Dan)
Best Cinematography - Lim Teck Siang (Mu Dan)

Elgin Ho preparing Raymond Yong for a scene in Promises in December

A 'Trilogue' on the SIFF 2010 Singapore Short Film Finalists (Act 2)

Here's the second half of Leon Cheo, Jeremy Sing and Colin Low's conversation about this year's SIFF Singapore Short Film Finalists! Be sure to check out Act 1 first!

Act 2

Jeremy: You know I feel the next short film "Life with Ummu" could have almost been lumped with the heap of non-finalists at first glance. It's got that "First Takes" look and feel. Not that "First Takes" showcases bad films but a number of its films are made by people who have a strong story or message but need not necessarily know how to stage it. "Life with Ummu" is mostly linear, to the point and effective. I could feel for once in the cinema, the usually restless audience sat up and kept their eyes wide open. It is a gripping story and it captured several gritty moments that I feel the director (a Chinese) should be given credit for being able to get a very pious Muslim (tudungs and all) family to bare it all.

The director also teased the audience by getting Ummu's younger sister to introduce her at the opening. So Ummu is immediately humanised before she makes her appearance.

Now given the fact that this could potentially be the film with the least creative merit, what do you guys think? I think the fact that I have a soft spot for this film comes from personal experience so I am a little biased.

Leon: I'm not sure if you want to say that "Ummu is immediately humanised". It's not like she's a monster. The subject matter, an autistic child, has immediate intrinsic value. It's something that is interesting to almost everyone. As an addition to the documentary landscape in Singapore, I think its academic "roots" are betrayed by how straightforward the style of the film is. Two scant passages of voice-over narration are really unnecessary and if taken out, would make the film less student-y. Nonetheless, "Life with Ummu" is heartfelt and illuminating.

Jeremy: Well, you can't deny there were a few compelling scenes where we see Ummu in some disturbing behaviour and what I was trying to say was that her sister's introduction set the tone right for getting to know Ummu, one of acceptance. Many 'humanising' is too sweeping as an adjective.

Colin: Yup. "Life with Ummu"'s central features are the shots of the autistic Ummu whacking herself, frantically rearranging the pillows on her bed, and screaming for no clear reason. These are easy for unfamiliar viewers to misunderstand, so it helps that we approach her from the perspective of her empathetic parents and younger sister, obvious though this approach may seem. Leon does notice some areas which would make "Life with Ummu" seem less amateurish, and this brings up a recurring issue I have with local cinema: the divide between fiction filmmakers, who often have great technique; and documentary filmmakers, who often have great content. Of course, there are notable exceptions in both cases, but I still haven't encountered a Singaporean fiction film with a narrative as urgent, politically and emotionally, as the ones I routinely find in any of our half-decent documentaries. Predictable it may be, but "Life with Ummu" is no different.

And "The 25th of Laura", the film after it, might just prove the other side of my point.

Jeremy: That's strange. Surely you mean the opposite right? I find "The 25th of Laura" the weakest in terms of getting its message or point across.

Colin: What I mean is that, counter to "Life with Ummu", "The 25th of Laura" struck me as emotionally detached and clichéd in content (a man moping over his muse—meh), but where technique is concerned, its attempts to innovate are evident. I suppose I was somewhat receptive to director Joshua Simon's willingness to scatter the logic of his film, even though I get that his efforts can be seen as total wankery.

Out of the slipstream bits I can still remember a good few: the estranging Korean voiceover, a figure swathed in light on a bare stage, an attempt at suicide gone absurd, a verdant if under-composed heaven sequence, and an afterimage emerging from a mosaic of photos. But I suspect that as time passes, the absent backbone of emotional meaning will quickly blot these images from memory, so I hope Simon follows this up by discovering a worthy story to which he can apply his talents—without, of course, being overwhelmed by the need to show off.

Leon: For some time, I've had this "fantasy" of making a film entirely in the French language, entirely for the sake of it. I suspect Joshua Simon has the same fantasy, and he fulfilled it his film "The 25th of Laura" with the Korean language. I can't really explain this fantasy but I guess it's a way to be different - call it a language fetish if you will. It's like how some filmmakers would use Cantonese, or like me, want to use French because I love how it sounds but can't really speak it. Maybe it's because of the potpourri of languages used in Singapore that affects how we deal with language in film. Most films are usually made in a language from their homeland. I recall a Singaporean short film made entirely in Japanese. Are Singaporean films the only ones which like to use non-indigenous languages?

I don't mean to digress: I think "The 25th of Laura" is a bit showy and there's certainly a level of competence. But enough of man-trying-to-find-muse stories already.

Jeremy: I know one local film dominated with a Japanese voiceover. It's "Cafe" by Kelvin Sng.

Actually Colin, many films can be very "wankery", or indulgent. But a good question to ask is what makes an indulgent film good and another bad? It is hard to say how to make an indulgent film good? Entertainment value? Shock value? Execution? Strength and tenacity of the director's vision? What makes one bad could be compromises in style and consistency. I personally find this film expressive but without bite or film grounding. And I agree that other than being stylistically enhancing, it tends to alienate the audience.

Colin: Well, it's apt to discuss those questions in conjunction with the last film, "Mu Dan". That film is also easily charged with wankery, and not just because it features a shot from behind of a man doing that very deed, his buttocks half-exposed, in its opening sequence (an homage to Sun Koh's "Dirty Bitch", last year's S'pore Short Film Award winner). It's also because the film calls attention to its surfaces: hostile cant-angled shots of an HDB lift lobby, a curiously empty and dark HDB unit, Chinese actresses exchanging a blonde wig, wafts of cigarette smoke, red peonies as a metaphor for youth.

I haven't even gotten to how whole scenes are shot voyeuristically, either from behind doors/corners onto unsuspecting characters; or into mirrors, so that we watch the characters' reflections the whole time. And that's before the film ends by re-appropriating a lover's song of heartbreak to the central situation of a divorced mom losing her son to a girlfriend. Cuh-reepy. I can excuse the odd lapses in directorial control, as in the two-person medium shots without any sense of theatrical blocking, because the rest of "Mu Dan" emanates discipline and oddball imagination at a level unmatched by its fellow nominees, save for maybe "Contained". What do you guys think?

Jeremy: Has anyone watched the perfume-ad-of-a-film A Single Man by Tom Ford? It is a good reference point for this perfume-ad-of-a-short-film, "Mu Dan". Coincidentally, both Lincoln Chia and Tom Ford are in fashion design. The eye for colours, texture and composition is meticulous in "Mu Dan", making it a real treat to watch. This film is a really a meeting of talents. Mesmerizing visuals aside, Li Xie, a seasoned actress really takes the film to a new level with her performance, blurring the lines of genre... very Freudian and very liberating to watch. The other aspects of the film are also equally competent.

I have to say it is my favourite of the lot because it eschews the traditional structure of a film, executes it well and does not rest on just stylistics. For me, it is the issue of sexuality which has the quality of being both very frivolous but affecting at the same time.

Am I just too beguiled by the prettiness of the film?

Leon: Compared to "The 25th of Laura", "Mu Dan" is so much more visually realised, and that's the strongest suit of the film. Each element in the film is particular and you can see the director's hand in every shot. I vividly recall the slow-mo shot of the girlfriend in a photoshoot, the mother's fractured reflection while smoking, and the boy walking through floating peonies. And this captured my attention for the duration of the film.

Colin: Well, to wrap up our discussion of this year's SIFF Singapore Short Film Finalists, I'd like to say that I've never been more rejuvenated by a slate of local short films that were screened in a theatrical setting. It's not an easy task to sit down to watch a continuous series of short films, since you have to reboot and prepare yourself for the next story just as the last one is wrapping up, but the diverse nature of these films makes the task that much easier, and so much more enjoyable.

Finally, a short look at our respective favourites:
Colin: "Contained", for sheer technical bravado
Leon: "Promises in December", for its emotional payoff (+ shout-out to "Mu Dan")
Jeremy: "Mu Dan", for being non-traditional, accomplished, frivolous and affecting

« Back to Act 1

________________________________

The Singapore Short Film Finalists were picked out of 70 submissions this year as part of the Singapore International Film Festival 2010, and will compete in the following awards categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance, Best Cinematography, and Special Mention. The prize winners will be announced at the Silver Screen Awards and Gala tonight.

They will be screened again on Sat 24 April, 11.30am at Sinema Old School. Get your tickets!

A 'Trilogue' on the SIFF 2010 Singapore Short Film Finalists (Act 1)

Filmmakers, beware! What you are about to read is a heated conversation between three people about this year's SIFF Singapore Short Film Finalists. Don't feel alarmed if even some things like the glint of sunlight in a particular shot are talked about. We love details! Joining Jeremy and Colin is Leon Cheo, a guest voice for this SIFF season.


Leon, 25, is a director-writer-producer currently doing a BFA in Creative Producing with Chapman University (Singapore). His latest film, “Four Dishes”, has travelled to film festivals in Iran, San Francisco, Bangkok and Berlin. He never gets spare time but maximises it as much as possible by developing new projects. He just completed a new short, entitled, “Swing”.

Act 1

Jeremy: In the previous year's shorts finalist line-up there were one or two I could say without batting an eye-lid that I didn't like. I can't say that for this year. I think this is a year of moderates - nothing too bad and nothing good enough to make you think we've found another poster boy or girl. Adding to this is the range of genres in a single competition. They are namely comedy ("Que Sera Sera"), animation ("Contained"), kids' drama ("Sunrise"), drama ("Promises in December"), documentary ("Life with Ummu"), experimental ("The 25th of Laura") and what I call the perfume ad whimsy ("Mu Dan"). It is strange how there is a token from every common genre. I am still thinking about my favourite although I can already hear some people rooting for "Que Sera Sera", "Contained" and "Mu Dan".


Let's talk about them in order, starting with "Que Sera Sera". Ghazi has a knack for taking the cheeky out of many things. It is both witty and adorable how the inner-voice (VO) sounds like a rebel while the outer voice is a whimper. As a result, it makes the boy seem vulnerable which I feel is key to making the audience sympathise. I cannot forget the little presentation he did to his teacher alone. It's a classic for sure.

Colin: What a sweet film, and how cheeky indeed that it achieves this by being as profane and borderline racist as it is! A lot of this can be attributed to the disarming figure of Syahidi, who plays the chubby kid that is the film's centre; as well as the ever-present voiceover by (I presume) the director Ghazi himself. Like I noted, the voiceover can be rather profane, at one point even getting into a chant of words I won't repeat here, while the sanitised subtitles keep swapping between "Dick." and "Head." It also tempts charges of racism, despite disclaiming that "I am not racist", when the kid, late for school, bumps into the Indian discipline master at the school gate. It helps, of course, that I know the actor playing the discipline master is a sporting friend of Ghazi's. But what saves all this even more is (as you've alluded to, Jeremy) the disparity between the cursing voiceover and the boy's sweet and natural disposition, which ends up making the former seem more harmlessly amusing.

I also loved that, like Philothea Liau's "Brazil" (where the value of an eraser reaches absurd heights), "Que Sera Sera" manages to evoke nostalgic details of past school days, and appends to that a kid's perspective on those details. I'm referring here to the discipline master's punishment, so idiosyncratic to its time and place, and so random and unfitting to the problem; and to the boy's reaction, never questioning the punishment's logic, but troubled by an unrelated set of problems that it will cause him.


The only complaint I have is that the film contrives a tummyache just so that the main character will miss his class. This makes sense logistics-wise, since you'd only need to cast the teacher and none of his classmates; and it helps the emotion of the scene where he presents his ambitions to the teacher alone, since it's no longer a chance to show off to peers but a more intimate reveal of his dreams to someone who seems to care (which prompted another filmmaker during the Q&A to ask Ghazi if he ended up marrying that teacher, heh).

But since the rest of the autobiographical film feels light and frothily believable, the tummyache could have been better foreshadowed so that it wouldn't seem like a mere storytelling device. For instance, his voiceover could have mentioned that he eats just about anything (and showed him eating something bad), or he could have been filmed eating just before he was made to run laps around the parade square. A minor point, really, when the rest of the film manages to be so funny, truthful, and above all sincere.

Leon: I agree with Jeremy; there is no outstanding short film this year. I like certain things about the films, and also dislike certain things. With "Que Sera Sera", I think it's great that we have Malay voices like Ghazi in the Singapore film landscape. The casting of Muhd. Syahid is a wonderful choice. He is cute and immediately endearing. Because of him, I forgive the toilet humour. The crude and vulgar stream of thought of the boy is hilariously sharp. It's nice to have a comedy when everything else is more serious and dramatic.

Jeremy: Now that you brought up the tummy ache, I am starting to see it as an narrative excuse. But hey, maybe let's just imagine all of these, tummy ache, profanities is Ghazi! Haha. It is meant to be a personal film anyway.

I sort of had an inkling this would be the audience favourite but my loyalties started to sway when I saw "Contained". It is undeniably meticulous in its execution. I must say I do not understand the animation techniques well but I tend to judge the skill by number of frames. In other words, it has to move a lot! I see a lot of very shoddy work from students where you can tell the figurines/characters have very limited lines of motion. In this, the motion is fluid and there is always something surprisingly in each scene. I especially the part when the studs and crazy thorny things were popping out of his head! I also must say the sound design was spot on!

Leon: The technique in "Contained" is evident. I don't know what you called them in stop-motion terms but I really like the way shapes evolve into other shapes. The creepy visuals and textures of this short film reminds me of Jan Švankmajer, probably the most influential artist in the stop-motion world. Every year at SIFF, there is always one animated short and the technique is usually excellent. Now, if only Singaporean animators would begin tackling more narrative-driven animated stories - I think that would be truly a treat.


Jeremy: I would say give us something different this year - let "Contained" win! At least it sets a new precedent for animation.

Leon: Maybe they are not winning because they aren't as dramatically fulfilling as the live action shorts?

Colin: I, for one, would have no problems with a win for "Contained". Great stop-motion animation nearly always catches me in the throat, just for the sheer technical bravado and patience involved, and "Contained" managed that early on with its depiction of those plasticine waves sloshing.

But despite the difficulty of crafting those wide shots of the island, I find myself aligned too with Leon's point about the need for more narrative-driven animation. That may explain why my favourite scenes of the film are those set in the dark, tight confines of the hut interior, where the main character tends to his dying flower. There's a surprising rage to his attempts to save the mere appearance of the flower's health, culminating in that sad image of the re-attached petals blowing off the flower, leaving strips of cellophane tape flapping in the wind. I love that, while most films would opt for making a similar character pitifully emo, this film drives him insane instead—and breaks out that madness visually in its memorable final shots.

The theme of being left alone carries over to the next film, "Sunrise", about an eldest son who has to care for his younger sisters after their mother leaves them for work. It's the most "foreign" film among the finalists, filmed and set in Cambodia with the orphans of the Sunrise Children's Village, which may explain why I found it hard to identify with it... although the languid first half may also be to blame. What did you guys think?

Jeremy: Two years ago, there was a film in SIFF called "To Speak". It was about two kids wanting to own a house and overcoming all odds. My first impression of "Sunrise" is that this is yet again a film that exploits the 'easy abundance' of stories in poverty-stricken Cambodia, like a kind of "poverty voyeurism". But compared to 'To Speak', it has more cinematic value and a stronger narrative drift. By the way, I love the framing and the lighting in the house scenes. Evokes a languid feel and also enriches the mood in the house. What i really take away from this film is the temple scene in which the boy stoically speaks to the monk to arrange for his mother's funeral. The naivety and the innocence of the boy just captures me!

But what I don't like is the length. I realise nicely-shot scenes have a short shelf-life on film. Never repeat them too much which "Sunrise" did. There is also what I would call a paradox of novelty. By this, I mean if you start your idea in a seemingly colourful place, you may end up with something actually very boring and if you start in a more ordinary premise, with a little thinking, you could conjure something actually very exciting. Hope you know what I mean guys...


Leon: I think films like "Sunrise" get stale very quickly. I could do with a bit of trimming on the running time. I mean, you see this kind of film every year at the festival and there is really nothing new or interesting to be seen here. I wonder how/why this film was selected...

Colin: Yeah, I think we all agree on the slowness of much of the film. There's an approach to observational detail (e.g. a shot of a plastic scoop bobbing in a full bucket) that works when these details are tethered to a narrative throughline, and I don't think it's achieved in "Sunrise". To be fair, I like the same temple scene that Jeremy does; it reminded me of Kore-eda Hirokazu's Nobody Knows (Japan, 2004), which also involves a kid having to step up to being an eldest sibling, an adult, and even a surrogate parent, long before he ever deserves to.

Jeremy: You know, I have a feeling the judges might just give the prize to "Promises in December", the next film. It's got that award-worthy genre and form, in other words, it's a 'serious' film. You've got a plot that has a historical and social context. The issues are well-thought out, the acting proficient and you've got it all geared up to look like it wants to be taken seriously.

So where's the catch in my comment? The catch is I feel a little uncomfortable with how the film could be a little unorganic and scripted. The opposite of that would be Ghazi's Que Sera Sera. I also don’t like how the feel of tsunami is being evoked. It somehow feels quite artificial. I also had an issue with Raymond Yong’s TV-style acting.

Leon: I really liked the film. Though the early scenes between the taxi driver and the maid are a bit stilted, I enjoy the parallel and juxtaposition of the main characters. As the film goes along, you wonder where it's going. Then, the final revelation comes and it is well set-up: you get scenes of the taxi driver at a columbarium and you wonder why. The pay-off is good and the non-linear play on the plot is effective. I connected with this film the most. I want to see more of Elgin Ho's films.

Colin: I'm divided on "Promises in December". For starters, while the taxi driver and the maid are in danger of being far too common character types, the film pairs the two as leads rather fruitfully. I like that it opens with the maid on her phone, shaping her as a person with an imaginable life back at her Indonesian home, without abstracting it into a burden as many migrant films do; and I like that her employer family's daughter for whom she makes breakfast actually seems appreciative of her work, when so many other filmmakers want to harp on the flashpoint of abuse.

Instead the film makes the taxi driver the worker-class character who is beset with problems. His HDB flat and packet char kway teow are clearly meant to contrast the landed property and pancakes where the maid works, and yet the film does this while skirting past a lot of the cheap oppositions that are one of my pet peeves about local film. I suspect it works because the maid doesn't actually live there, making the contrast more complicated, and because the film doesn't demonise either way of life.

This leads to what is absolutely my favourite shot among all the finalist films: when the maid is in the driver's taxi, he tosses off a comment that she probably wouldn't want to live in Singapore if it weren't for the pay, right? As he says this, we get a shot of the maid looking out of the cab window, on which is reflected a row of HDB flats, and she is silent as they drive by. It's such a profound shot, capturing the perspective of a woman who probably dreams of a life that the man is disavowing, even as we acknowledge that her six years' work in a landed property would likely misrepresent life as he knows it.


And then the film has to spoil that by contriving an explicit link between them, of all things by invoking the Asian tsunami of 2004, and delivering "justice" to each character. Not only does the link make the whole setup feel artificial, it's a little unfair to use a senseless tragedy like the tsunami to give fictional characters grief, especially if it's a fake-out or if it's to "punish" a character for not being understanding. "Promises in December" does both, and I haven't even mentioned the awful closed-captioning on the film, which mars a potentially horrifying tsunami recording over a black screen with the words "[woman screaming]". (Or that, at an earlier point, reads "[phone vibrates]" even though the onscreen phone isn't visibly vibrating.)

Jeremy: On hindsight and after this discussion, my view of "Promises in December" has shifted a bit. I agree with the favourite shot of yours Colin. It carries the film's spirit of irony quite cleverly. Maybe I didn't pick it up at first look because the HDB flats' reflection was whizzing past the window surface too quickly. They could have cut to a point-of-view shot of the flats instead. It would have amplified the message. My conclusion about this is I like its idea but I would have preferred a less deliberate form.

Continue to Act 2 »

SIFF Production Talk - 'Promises in December' by Elgin Ho

This year, our guest interviewer Lee Wong speaks to Elgin Ho on his film, Promises in December.

Film synopsis
“Promises In December” surrounds two main characters; an Indonesian domestic helper and a Singaporean taxi driver. Individually from different backgrounds, they share similar expectations through their struggle, searching for ideals of life in Singapore. On a December day, their lives interweaved abruptly revealing the sacrifices each of them must face.

Director’s bio
Elgin Ho was born in Hong Kong during the 80s while the country’s cinema industry was blooming. He got greatly inspired by the countless movies his parents brought him to watch every weekend. Little did he know that the magical connection experienced, would very much influence him in the way he now crafts his stories. His previous short films have made appearances in film festivals all over the world, including cities such as Pusan, Auckland, Toronto, Rome and Croatia receiving numerous awards. “Promises In December” is his final year thesis short film at the Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design & Media.

Director’s statement
Many dream to have better lives for themselves and their families. We make sacrifices and pursue these dreams. Sometimes by doing so, we lose ourselves and also the things we treasure most.
Having always wanted to make a film which explored the values of sacrifices, “Promises In December” allowed me the opportunity to examine some of the most complex issues in our lives: love, loss, guilt, coincidences, obligation, faith, hope and redemption.
Is the worth of sacrifices comparable to the hopes and dreams one would yearn in return? With our eyes set on new opportunities ahead, do we sometimes lose sight of what is closest to us?


What inspired the story for PROMISES IN DECEMBER?
During a film workshop at the end of 2006 with renowned Indonesian filmmaker Riri Riza, I chanced upon a documentary and it struck me about an event that most of us would have forgotten. It was evident that time can aid to erase pain and suffering but also blinds us from facts and lessons that we should learn.

'Promises In December' alongside the dramatized treatment of incidents do not serve as a factual account of the event, but rather a mean to remind us about the fragility of life and how one should count their blessings.

You mentioned, "Having always wanted to make a film which explored the values of sacrifices". What's the biggest sacrifice you've made where filmmaking is concerned?
It is a long and difficult road to become a filmmaker, let alone being one in Singapore. The decision to continue to pursue filmmaking opportunities upon my graduation from NTU is definitely the current biggest sacrifice I’ve made so far. In order to pursue filmmaking, I've sacrificed prospects of a stable job and also my family's hopes and dependency on me.

Your short film features a foreigner (Indonesian domestic helper). You were born in Hong Kong. Your previous shorts include 'S439956' (for the National Museum's 'Digital Homeland' series), 'Foreign Dreams' and '1920s'. Is the migrant's dream a common theme? Do you consider yourself a foreigner pursuing a dream in Singapore?
It is interesting that you have mentioned this as I grew up with Singapore for the past twenty years. I have never considered myself a foreigner but someone whom can offer a third person’s perspective on issues that concern those who live and work here.


(As a filmmaker) do you think you're very Singaporean? Conversely, how are you different?
I feel it is difficult to define what makes a Singaporean filmmaker. Is it the subject matter in the film or the nationality of the filmmaker that makes the difference? If one day Gong Li decides to make “Memoirs of a Geisha 2” here in Singapore with local funding but with all its story setting still based in Japan, will the film be considered a Singaporean film or will she consider herself a Singaporean filmmaker?

Conversely I am hundred percent Singaporean as some of my foreign friends have put it; I have mastered the art of speaking the only language that can blend multiple dialects with English, Mandarin and Malay altogether in one sentence.

In conclusion, I consider myself a filmmaker who has made films about living life in Singapore.

Being a non-native Singaporean, does this influence your stories and your story-telling?
I think to a certain degree it definitely does, as I seemed to be drawn to stories, which often deals with migrants living here. However, I personally think that a good story should not be bounded by nationalities, race or gender.


PROMISES IN DECEMBER is shot on film. It's also your thesis piece for your NTU course in design and media. In the world of ever-common HD and video, why the decision to shoot on film?
I made the choice to shoot on film as I have always wanted to work with the medium but didn’t have the resources to do so. As my thesis project, I was able to spend more time planning out the hefty financial side of this workflow.

As film struggles to remain relevant in today’s increasingly digital world, I still believe that it is the best medium for capturing a story. There’s just something different when you record an image on celluloid film that is based on chemical emulsions compared to electronic pixels.

What were the challenges in making the film? What was the most difficult thing?
The scripting process was the most difficult part in making the film. Even before production, I knew I wanted to tell the story in a non-linear structure. My co-writer, Karen and I had to plot out the events and scenes carefully without losing the main focus on both the characters. It was also my first attempt in writing a narrative script with dialogue and the challenge was to make it sound as natural as possible.

Why a non-linear narrative? What drew you to this approach?
The non-linear narrative approach gives the audience space to puzzle the story together. I also wanted to use this structure of storytelling to enhance the dramatic reveal as a climax in the film.


How did you go about getting help, in terms of funding and crew support?
This project was partially funded by the Singapore Film Commission under the Short Film Grant. The rest of the cost was shared between my course-mate/DP, Teck Siang and myself. As both of us have been freelancing in the industry while we were studying, many of our crew friends extended their help in the production of this film. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank them again for their kind assistance.


How did you cast your characters?
I met my male lead, Raymond Yong while working for another course-mate’s (Loo Zihan) final year thesis film, “Threshold”. His performance convinced me that he is well suited for the taxi driver character. We had a brief discussion and he agreed to take on the role immediately.

We had an open casting call for the Indonesia domestic helper’s role. My eventual female lead, Corry Turistiowati turned up with a great audition. Although she had no prior acting experience, she was very natural in front of the camera. I also like her approachable features in particular and she shared many similarities to the character I had in mind.

Lastly, it was a fortunate experience that I had an opportunity to work with stage and television actress, Janice Koh. I have always admired her works and thought she would bring great balance to the taxi driver’s character. I approached her with my script and she gracefully decided to take on the cameo but pivotal role in the film.

Any interesting anecdotes to share about the production?
The female child talent, who is seen as the Indonesian domestic helper’s daughter, is actually her daughter off screen in real life as well.


What do you think about the local film industry?
The local film industry definitely looks promising with the infrastructures currently put in place and various funding aid offered by the government. We only truly need the support of the local audiences to appreciate our efforts. It is depressing to go to the cinemas on a weekend and watch a local feature with only 5 other audiences watching it in the entire hall. To all the readers of this post, please support made in Singapore films as it goes a long way to help the local industry to grow.

Do you think local short films are too serious, too depressing?
I think local short films can never be too serious because the filmmakers will always want to convey a certain message through the story. It does not matter whether the film is a tragedy or comedy as long as the intended message gets across to its audience.

What's next? Give us some insight to your upcoming works... Anything different in theme?
I’m currently working with another filmmaker on a documentary feature based in Vietnam.

Can you name top 5 films that you wish you had made?
Heart of Dragon 龍的心 (Director: Sammo Hung, Fruit Chan)
(the first movie that made me tear in the cinema)
Infernal Affairs (Director: Lau Wai Keung, Alan Mak)
(a film, which marked the revival of the crime thriller genre in Hong Kong)
Born Into Brothels (Director: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman)
(despite the debate of whether the film had improved the lives of the children featured in it, I truly felt the sincerity of the filmmakers.)
Babel (Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu)
(to be able to work with its stellar cast in one of my favorite multi-narrative drama)
Avatar (Director: James Cameron)
(for the most obvious reason that it is the highest grossing film worldwide $)

PROMISES IN DECEMBER is a finalist in the SINGAPORE SHORT FILM COMPETITION at the Singapore International Film Festival 2010

Screening: Sat 17 April and Sat 24 April, 11.30am at Sinema Old School.
Get tickets here.

Video Excerpts of Q&A, SIFF 2010 Singapore Short Film Finalists, 17 April, Sinema Old School

SIFF Production Talk- 'Que Sera Sera' by Ghazi Alqudcy

Our guest interviewer Lee Wong speaks to Ghazi Alqudcy on his short film, Que Sera Sera:


Film synopsis:
When I was just a little boy, I asked my teacher, what will I be? Will I be a doctor? Will I be a lawyer? Here’s what she said to me: Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be /The future’s not ours to see /Que sera sera /What will be, will be...

Director's bio:
Ghazi Alqudcy enjoys telling stories through digital film. His works vary in approach – from fictional narratives, to documentaries, to experimental projects. Thematically, Ghazi has touched on issues of sexuality, spirituality, and death.

Graduated from Republic Polytechnic, School of Technology for the Art under the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award Scholarship, he continues making digital films and practicing his storytelling techniques. He is now a student at the School of Arts Design Media, Nanyang Technological University upon receiving the Singapore Technologies Endowment Fund Scholarship, under Temasek Holdings.

Ghazi continues to be active in Singapore’s local film scene, participating in numerous events such as the Take 5! Guerilla Filmmaking Challenge, Fly By Night Video Challenge and the MDA-Panasonic Digital Film Fiesta. In 2007, he held his first solo screening of three films - Lakshmi, Serah Diri, and Block 46 at The Substation’s Guinness Theatre. He took a break for a year in 2008 to learn curate films with his first film screening festival under Republic Polytechnic's Art’s Festival, ‘Play Now Film Fest’ with support from The Substation Moving Images. After that, he curates Purnama Film Screening 1 & 2, under the Singapore Malay Film Society. He was also selected to be part of the Singapore Young Contemporary Artist ‘2008. In 2009, he serves as a judge in the local Fly-By-Night Video Challenge.

He was not film-trained, but he believes that "anybody can be a filmmaker if he perseveres to." His films have been screened in Thailand, Indonesia, London, Australia and also galleries such as Valentine Willie Fine Arts Gallery. Ghazi continues honing his skills through commission works for Prime Minister’s Office, Mediacorp’s Suria, The Artist Village, Singapore Press Holdings, Ain Society and many other companies and organization. During his free time, he loves to indulge in a slumber party with his friends and that is how he usually gets inspired. Currently his motto is "Buy less T-shirts and do more films".

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Your statement about the film 'Que Sera Sera' says that it's a biographical piece. Were you an unhappy kid, growing up? Is your short film about empowerment?
I wouldn’t regard Que Sera Sera (QSS) as an unhappy film, neither would it be seen as an unhappy portrayal of me. QSS is more of an action-reaction between the past and present in my life. Being who I am allowed me to filter many things especially the choice of good friends, and this is vital. Friends come and go, but good friends will stay. This film dedicated to all the good friends in my life, those who believed in me.

As a filmmaker, is it difficult to be honest in telling a story about yourself?
Before writing the script, I talk to my good friends a lot. I will ask them questions that will allow me to understand them and myself better. It’s easy to write something about you, but whether that’s what people see is another issue. Along the way, small talks, discussion and getaways became a research to understand myself better and the idea to QSS. Writing comedy was easy then, just took my personal experience of those being laughed at, and then reflect upon it.

How did you go about casting (for someone to play yourself as well as the rest of the characters)?
I alerted friends of mine who are teachers and made it like a game. I asked them to find a student in their school that they think looked like me when I was 10. There was no time for rehearsal as I only met the main character 30mins before shoot. We spent time talking to each other, doing poster, writing on the board. You would see the poster he made in the film, which was used as the prop. The other characters were all my good friends. The film initially required a lot of cast, but I eliminate all of them and construct my scene to allow me to only work with 3 characters.

What are the biggest challenges in making this film?
As usual budget would always be the problem. But I told myself, the only thing I will spend would be for the comfort of my crew and cast. I called my good friends (with no film production background) to help me as crew. MOEW House is just a group of friends of various art backgrounds to do things together. My assistant director (Angela Chong) is an installation artist. My Director of photography (Sazeli Jalal) is a fashion photographer. My technical crews (Yue Han, Haidar and Naresh) are my close friends in school. All I want is a fun shoot, and IT WAS FUN. In the middle of the shoot, we changed it to next top model geared with film gears as prop.

How did you go about getting help, in terms of funding and crew support?
The film cost me 50 dollars, which went to vehicle petrol and drinks. I was blessed with friends who want to help. But it is a funny irony though. I asked all of them to help me to make a film dedicated to them. My DP would come half an hour before shoot and say, “Give me a crash course on how to use this camera in 15 minutes” When we were shooting in the parade square under the hot sun, my assistant director would dig umbrellas from everybody’s bag and shelter the crew from the heat even without being prompt. Once again, I would say I am blessed to be surrounded by friends who helped me a lot.

What kind of other help did you get? Say, from fellow filmmakers or classmates, etc?
QSS is part of a class project. Everybody has to make a short film from the given location (assigned by the professor). Grouped with 3 other classmates, we were to complete 4 short films within 2 weeks. Along the way, we learn from each other, making short films of different style and technique. QSS was too personal to me and I did not share anything with my classmate, lecturers, cast and even crew. I produced the film myself and the cast and crew only got to know about the story 30 minutes before the shoot. Everybody was clueless before that.

There is definitely a sense of spontaneity and fun from some of your earlier short films. Would you ever choose to make your film differently? Do you think your films would be different if you worked with professional crew instead of friends?
I have done commercial work with professional crew and I would have to say results are fantastic. And I would not conclude that I won't work with professional crew at all for my short films. But currently what I enjoy most about filmmaking is the process, and I want it to be fun and not stressful.

Any interesting anecdotes to share about the production?
Halfway through the shoot, the parents of my main character (Syahidi) came to set. And that was noon and we were doing the scene of him running around the parade square. My assistant director alerted me about Syahidi’s parents and asked me to finish the scene quickly. It doesn’t look good asking Syahidi to run around. I wouldn’t want the parents to be angry too. Syahidi’s father came to us and said, “Can you please ask him to run some more. It’s the only way to make him exercise.” We were stunned.

What are your views on the film industry here in Singapore?
The film community is growing. Anybody can make a film. We need more films. It's the best time to make a film, just pick a camera and do it!

Do you think local short films are too serious, too depressing?
I won't say all local short films are depressing, because I think there are some cute happy ones. Its quite refreshing to see a happy short film after watching depressing short films. Some of my works are depressing too !!! haha

What's next? Give us some insight to your upcoming works...
I will be spending the next half of the year doing a student exchange overseas. I'm going to Pusan National University and right in time to watch the Pusan International Film Fest. :) If i can't see my film in PIFF, to go there and see others also can lah.. might as well :) hahaha - pathetic me right???? Haha. I want to take this opportunity to do something, get inspired by other cultures, spaces and people. Most of the crew of QSS had an art show last January at Post-Museum Singapore. The same show ‘QUITE’ will be travelling to ANNEX Gallery, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. I have a sound work installation, an interesting recorded phone conversation.

I notice in your credits there is music by Moby. Could you share with us any tip(s) about the use of music in your short film?
There are many musicians and artist (locally and internationally) who are willing to help budding filmmakers. It’s always worth it to at least try. I remember waiting for Dick Lee to appear from a play just to ask his permission to use his music. I had to wait everyday through out the entire week. We never met him but yes we got his music for the short film, 'We the real people of Singapore'. We managed to get through to Dick Lee through his private email and he gave us the permission to use the song that we've wanted. Again, there’s no harm trying.

Can you name top 5 films that you wish you had made?
Opera Jawa (Director: Garin Nugroho)
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (Director: Auraeus Solito)
Taste of Cherry (Director: Abbas Kiarostami)
The Flower In The Pocket (Director: Liew Seng Tat)
Dogville (Director: Lars Von Trier)

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QUE SERA SERA is in competition at the Singapore International Film Festival 2010. It screened on April 17 and will be re-screened on 24 April, 11.30am at Sinema Old School. Get your tickets!

Q & A excerpt for 'In The House of Straw' by Chris Yeo

Snapshots at SIFF 2010 Singapore film screenings

Chris Yeo explaining his film 'In the House of Straw' under an ominous tree

 Keen members of the audience listening to Chris Yeo during his Q & A

Filmmakers of the Short Films finalists waiting for questions

'Did you notice that thing was in shot in my film?

SIFF Production Talk - 'Contained' by Henry Zhuang and Harry Zhuang

Synopsis
“Contained” is an experimental animation created with no prior planning or storyboarding. We reacted to the medium spontaneously and sculpt the form of the story frame by frame. By expressing our emotion through the molding of the clay, the process of the animation took on a form of self therapy.

Biography
Born in 1982, both twin brothers Henry and Harry Zhuang had their first achievement in animation with their CG animation titled "Birthday Present". This 3D CG animation won a CG Excellent Award in the CG Overdrive 2006 and 3rd prize in TBS Digicon6+3 Singapore Regional Award. After which, both begun their animation career working as animators in a local animation company, Sparky Animation Pte Ltd. Upon gaining close to 2 years of working experience, they decided to further their studies at Nanyang Technological University School of Art, Design and Media. During their studies there, one of their animation assignments, "A Story About My Dad", received a 1st Prize of Gold Award in the Safety@Work Creative Awards.

Both Henry and Harry Zhuang are currently in their senior year at Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media. Both are pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Animation with the help from Media Education Scholarship grant by the Media Development Authority of Singapore,. 'Contained' marks their first independent short film.

What started the idea behind Contained?
The idea started when we were working on a short assignment which require us to work on the idea of metamorphosis using clay. We animated a short animation of an island being trapped by the incoming red sea. Then my brother and I started playing around with our ideas and the project slowly evolve into a short film.

How many animation pieces have you made so far?
We have done quite a few animation together. The animation we did range from 2D, 3D, paper-cut and stop-motion animation. The very first one we were involved in was our Final Year Project at Nanyang Polytechnic in 2002, titled "The Legend of Bukit Timah", which was an official selection in Kalamazoo Animation Film Festival. Then the next animation we did was a 3D animation to aid us in looking for job after NS, titled "Birthday Present" at 2006. It was awarded CG Excellence award at CG overdrive. Then when we were in NTU, we did a paper cut animation that won Gold award and Judges choice for the "Safety@Work" student competition.

How long did it take for you to make this film?
As it was an extension of our assignment, the whole production stretches over a year, which we were only allowed to work on it during our free time, in-between our lessons. We would think that the actual production took five months.

What were some of the biggest challenges in the production?

We think that the biggest challenges would be the last scene where the blue sea turned into red. It was a long process to animate that scene. We had to keep pushing the plasticine and each frame took roughly 25 minutes to complete.Some other problems which i think most stopmotion animators face is to maintain the character standing in a off balance pose before we shoot the frame. Bumping into the camera can be quite a hassle too. We have to keep adjusting the camera or the puppet to match the previous frame.

Do you always collaborate? Tell us more about your working relationship since you are brothers. What were the good moments, the difficult moments and the interesting moments?

We have collaborated in quite a number of animation projects. I think one of the main reason that we can work together is that we have similar vision and taste for film. Maybe because we spend a lot of time together? The good thing about working with a close brother is that when we discuss, we tend to be more open towards one another, sharing our deepest thoughts and personal views towards art. But sometimes, our discussion can be pretty aggressive. The most interesting moments would be after our aggressive discussion, we learned more about each other, and would realize the "good" in our difference in opinion.

For example, I wanted to do something and explained it to my brother. After he tried out, the effect was not what I had in mind. But it turned out to be a surprise to me.

Do you plan to take your 'brotherhood' to the bigger stage like some big Hollywood examples?

Haha. We would continue to work together in the future. It’s like chopstick, it works better as a pair. However, on saying that, we would definitely give ourselves chance to do personal project for the sake of self exploration.

What's the animation filmmaking community in Singapore like? I see you got some help from Tan Wei Keong, a familiar name when as far as animation is concerned.
There isn't really a official animation filmmaking community in Singapore, not that I know of. We knew Wei keong through MDA, when three of us received the MDA scholarship grant together in the same year. He was our senior in School of Art Design Media, NTU. He was a great help to us, advising us on how to craft the story and had encourage us throughout the production of animation.

Who are your target audience (or who would you be interested to show this to?)

Hmm.... there wasn't really a target audience. We were making a film for ourselves, maybe it was like a self reflection. After finishing the animation, we seem to understand more a bit of ourselves.

If given more money, how could you have made this film differently?

I think money wasn't an issue in this project. But if we were being funded, maybe we would have had a movable camera stand and a DSLR camera so we have more camera movement in the animation. Currently, we are restricted by a tripod or a fixed stand.

What other stories, projects are you on to now... or have in mind?

The other project we are working on is a 2D dominate, 3D and stop motion animation short film titled "Thepsis". It’s about a person's persona. We are still in the preproduction phrase and we will be using the short film as our Final Year Project.

What are the top five movies you wish you'd made?

I think I wish I had made Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mind Game, Infernal Affairs, Ghost in the Shell and maybe Totoro. =P


Check out the Zhuang Brothers' website.