2SSFA - 'The Forest Spirits' by Ting Szu Kiong

I attended the first nominee sscreening of the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards expecting films that were of top-notch quality, to say the least. Thus I was actually befuddled over the inclusion of The Forest Spirits, until I found out what the film was nominated for later on.

To say the least, this was definitely the weakest showing of the six films screened for the programme. For it is downright slapstick and tacky. Granted that B-grade films is a respectable genre all on their own—and I would say the best B-grade film would be one that is the most slapstick, the most tacky, the most lame—but this film simply jars from the lineup of what are otherwise pretty outstanding shorts.

Of course there is a need for a crowdpleaser, but this hardly sat in with the Substation crowd.

The Forest Spirits is lame, unfunny, and tries too hard to entertain yet end up leaving audiences confounded over how they spent their last eight minutes of their lives. “What on earth was that?” I thought to myself. Maybe the forest spirits could help me answer that.

Yet my review notes did include one line that was the perfect answer to my initial doubts over the inclusion of this screening: “(The) music is really polished.” Unfortunately, it falls short of winning an award—in fact all the short films nominated for the category fell short—because the judges were looking for sound design that is “more than just putting music into a film” and that “involves a sound scape”. It does make sense—for all the polished technicalities of the music, it only serves to accentuate the scenes onscreen without serving to create a visceral image in the minds of the audience.

This films was nminated for Best Sound (Studio.MB) at the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards.

Who's Shooting What? 2011: Ting Szu Kiong

Few days ago, I had a chit chat with Sanif Olek. He told me how he went on shooting with his own pocket money. After talking to him, an idea came to me. That is to shoot a low budget documentary of how some filmmakers went on shooting without financial support from organizations be it SFC or what. It's not so much of criticizing any organizations. Of course, if the documentary can give ideas to organizations or government to better their systems after watching it, that would be great. It would be more about these filmmaker's perseverance like what Sanif Olek has demonstrated. Struggling filmmakers are encouraged to come to me. I like to interview them.

Here's my next work...

1) Title: Let's Shoot It Anyway

2) Description: A documentary about the perseverance of struggling filmmakers

(I don't know what other descriptions to add as I don't know how it will turn out. It's a documentary. But if you feel appropriate, you can help add in about how the idea came about.)

3) Tagline: Making films costs money. But they do it without money.

For More Information about Ting Szu Kiong... http://www.alivenotdead.com/szukiong

Viewpoint from a filmmaker -Ting Szu Kiong

We continue with a series of responses from local filmmakers on the current regulation and/or censorship system in Singapore. This is an ongoing project initiated by a group of students from LASALLE. Discussions and exchange of views are encouraged between members of the public and arts practitioners on the regulatory issue of films in Singapore. View our previous interviews here.

We find out what local filmmaker, Szu Kiong has to say:

1. During the process of making a film, have you ever felt restricted by any regulatory boundaries set by MDA? If yes, in what ways?

For my case, I have not felt restricted because I have never produced violent, sexually explicit, and racially, religiously or politically sensitive films although my films can be quite artistic. My films are "healthy".

I like to add that in my personal experience, MDA / SFC is not entirely close-minded. My first short film, MY KEYS, portrays the Goddess of Mercy, which is a religious figure, in a mischevious way. My second short film, MICHELLE, shows a melancholic woman walking in streets and enviously gazing at loving couples. At the end, we learn that she's a transvestite yearning to be a normal woman. Before I made my fourth short film, THE FOREST SPIRITS, people threw wet blanket at me saying that SFC would only support films with local flavors and never support the wuxia genre. These films are all supported by SFC.


2. If for artistic purposes, would you make a film which you know might attract censors or cuts but still continue to do it anyway? Why?

If it is a short film which involves low budget and I feel strongly for, I would probably make it anyway. There are many film festivals around the world which might be more tolerant. If it is a feature film which is likely to be banned, I rather not because I am not a rich filmmaker. I would likely choose to make feature films that can reach out to all ages.

3. In the Arts Community Position Paper, it is suggested that regulation should be implemented in place of censorship, as the former involves objective classification that is not politically-motivated. What is your view?

It sounds good because regultions should be clearer.

4. Two of MDA’s guiding principles behind its regulatory work are to uphold community values and to safeguard national and public interest. What is your view?

I guess such guidelines are common in many countries. Most people should agree that filmmakers should not make films that are biased against a minority group, or any religion. Of course exercising the guidelines can be controversial and even colored with prejudices. However, it is a double edged sword because how the government acts and the mentality of the majority are related to each other. Often, the conservative group wins because of the government's support. So, the government has to change its perception and take steps to educate people and clear prejudices.

5. Have you participated in any discussion programmes or feedback consultations with regards to content regulation initiated by MDA? Would you participate in future? Why?

Nope. But I don't mind participating.

6. What do you have to say about the censoring/banning of content in films screened in local theatres which are still obtainable on the Internet?

This is like a case of a parent forbidding children to do this and that at home, but the parent can't stop them from doing those things out of home. People in the arts community would question the rationale of banned contents while they can all be accessed on the Internet. I think this kind of train of thought is dangerous because it means that since porn can be obtainable on the Internet, why ban porn in theatres? So, I advice people should not reason like that.

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Singapore Short Film Awards - The Triumph by Ting Szu Kiong

Szu Kiong's films play a unique part in the filmmaking scene in that no other filmmaker makes films like his. And he takes risks. Well, not entirely because he's got the blessings of SFC for a number of his films. Take a look at the things he's made: The Triumph (1930s period short involving guns and rickshaws), The Forest Spirits (wu xia short, need I say more?) and he's on his way to make something about a vampire to he effect of the Hong Kong Vampire movies by Raymond Wong. 

Several things raise the skepticism about The Triumph. For a young director, it seems too ambitious to do period films. The mediocre acting reared its head at the first entrance of a character. Subsequent delivery was stilted and stagey (the girl who played the lead still pulled a palatable performance). Take away the grandeur of a period drama, the film is really resting on fragile ground. But there was a silver lining  - a moderate surprise that served to pay off my patience in watching the film. The girl who watches a dozen men fight endlessly over power gets to claim a reward for herself for living through these episodes. She keeps their charms that they wear on their neck and accumulate some good fortune for herself. 

It's hard to decide if this is strange or not. In a way, the film does not make a point because this is just about her enigmatic hobby of collecting charms and it leads to a free lunch (in the form of a handsome suitor). However, for the risks that she bore sitting through fights between men, this is a payoff, so it is essentially more than about the hobby, but a reward for braving the realities of her life. Perhaps, if it was made clearer how she paid her dues to be so blessed, then we could walk away with a amulet of wisdom about life.

Who's Shooting What in 2010? Ting Szu Kiong

Szu Kiong with his white thinking cap

Name of Project: The Vampire King (working title)
Brief Description of Project: Yan Zhen Shan (Sunny Pang), Chen, Tang (Colin Ho) and other men enter an abandoned mansion to seek Tu Lai, the undead. They vow to kill this most powerful vampire to end the menace that prowl in the shadowy streets of colonial Singapore. Instead of finding the monster, they destroy and burn the boxes of soil that gives the undead its energy. As the men return to Tang's asylum for the mentally sick, they find the lunatic Wang Bu Lao (Vincent Tee) dead and Chen's wife seduced by Tu Lai.

Project Tagline: Singapore's short period thriller that is adapted from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Production Talk - 'The Forest Spirits' by Ting Szu Kiong

THE FOREST SPIRITS 狐仙计 The first Singapore wuxia short film Story by Ting Szu Kiong. A powerful clan leader goes deep into the forest to hone his supernatural skills. To stop disturbance, he kills one of the forest spirits to warn them while they are having a celebration. Years later, the forest spirits lure a young man into the forest. This is their first step in their revenge against the tyrannical man who has taken away their territory.

*****

Grace (G): Is this your first feature film?
Szu Kiong (SK): The Forest Spirits is a short film. It should be my fourth short film. My first is My Keys which was nominated for Best Short Film in Asian Festival of First Films.

G: What inspired you to start on this project?
SK: From my first film, I have always strived to add to the variety of local films. And, of course, I like wuxia films. I grew up watching such films in the 70s. I had been thinking of an wuxia short story for some time. After watching Akira Kurosawa's first segment of DREAM, I suddenly thought of a story. Akira Kurosawa's DREAM is so mermerisingly beautiful. It shows a respect for nature and I love nature. And this inspired me to think of a short story in a similar vein.

G: What can the audience look forward to?
SK: The film is made with simplicity. No large numbers of cast. No hundreds of exotic locations. No flying actions. No explosions. I think I would advice everyone not to bear preconceived ideas and expectations in watching any film. But certainly, it's a very different Singaporean film. It has a simple story but an underlying call for nature conservation.

G: Where was 'The Forest Spirits' shot at?
SK: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. You should go there. It's a beautiful place. Just beware of hungry monkeys.

G: How long did you take to make this film from the time pre-production started?
SK: The preproduction took more than half a year (starting from Jan 09 to Aug 09). We spent much time buying materials and making props and costumes. Thanks to Chee Wee, the production manager, and Julia, the costume designer. We made Sunny's armor by cutting cardboards, gluing suitable fabrics and tying them together. We cannot find suitable wuxia shoes and so bought different shoes, cut them, and thread the different parts together. We can't find a long stuff for Sunny's character and so bought a few walking sticks, saw them, and joined the parts together. It's a very hands-on project.

G: Are there any special 3D effects in this film? If so, was it difficult making it look believe?
SK: We use a green screen special effect, and minimal 3D special effect. We can't do much 3D special effects because of limited budget. A 3D effect might be believable when it's alone in itself. But when edited with other shots, it's a different story.

G: What is the main ingredient in making a wu xia film?
SK: Wuxia films also have drama, human conditions. So, the basic theory in acting and storytelling apply. But wuxia cannot exist without period costumes and hairstyle. I think it is possible to make a short wuxia film without actions but probably it's not possible for a feature wuxia film not to have actions. At least I haven't seen one.

G: How did you go about casting?
SK: I gathered my talents from friends' referrals, except for Sunny. I went to him to introduce myself after I watched an experimental feature film he acted in. I found him a very dedicated actor in that film. Such degree of committement is rarely found in many local actors. I thought to myself I really need more of such talents and so I went to be acquainted with him. I usually don't conduct casting sessions. This is probably because I don't know if I can conduct a useful and effective casting call. I am still a new filmmaker (3-4 years from my first short film). You know?

G: How did you get help to shoot this? In terms of financial and crew support?
SK: SFC supports this film with a very good amount. And I am very grateful to SFC for supporting my four films so far. The crew members are from all walks of life. Some are students (Weiru, Wan Fong, Yixin) from Film, Sound, Video course of Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Vivek, one of the producers, is in the banking line. Eugene, the special effects coordinator, is a computer-game shop owner. I got to know them at different times in different situations through these few years. These good people are all very supportive of the project which they see has much potential. In addition, I am very glad to work with Derrick Loo, the director of photography of Bloodties, and Shireen Lim, the makeup artist of Bloodties, for the first time in this project.

G: Which is your favourite wu xia film?
SK: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon for its unique story, beautiful action choreography that's like a dance, concept of harmony with the sword and nature

G: What were your biggest challenges in making this film?
SK: One biggest challenge is dealing with unpredictable weather. The filming was scheduled to be two days. It rained everyday and I got to add an extra day of shooting, incurring more production cost significantly. It even rained the third day. But miraculously, we completed the filming at the end of the third day.

G: Any interesting anecdotes to share about the production?
SK: Anectodes for filmmakers? I am not sure if I can give any as I am still a new filmmaker. Every filming is a learning experience. And for me, there is still a long way to go. If I were to live as long as Clint Eastwood, I have more than forty years to make films and learn.

G: When and where is 'The Forest Spirits' going to be released?
SK: It is in post production now. I will submit for local festivals next year to share this film with all of you. Hopefully, I can get it screened and share with you all in January 2010!

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Photos by: Benjamin Ang