Stories from S’pore’s film scene

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Stories from S’pore’s film scene

How would you convince a Singaporean to watch more Singaporean/Southeast Asian films?

Short of yelling “please watch this, thanks” to every Singaporean, I think ultimately we have to collectively believe that championing works made at home and this region is important. We have to believe that this is the hill we will (metaphorically) fight for and die on.

And to “watch more” or to “support” doesn’t mean a blind adulation of anything made by Singaporean or regional filmmakers. It means that yes, we watch as much as we can—and then vigorously unpack, praise, rebuke, tear apart, challenge, debate the films. There needs to be healthy, vibrant discourse because that’s what lots of creators and storytellers respond to as well. This is the way we can spur the local scene on and lift it to new heights.

I mean, look to the South Koreans—they are both their cinema’s most devoted fans and harshest critics. From young, they learn to devour a wide range of their local films and grow up to watch quite a lot as well. Look where South Korean cinema is now! Of course, there are many other infrastructures in place which have led to their success, but you cannot take that film-going passion out of the equation.

Another thing—everyone finds a different path into Singaporean/Southeast Asian films. One person might watch a film because of a friend’s recommendation. Another might catch a film out of curiosity because the work won a prestigious award at Cannes or Locarno and there’s lots of hype over it. The next person might watch these films at a screening by SGIFF, or the National Museum, Asian Film Archive, The Projector, Objectifs etc. Some others might come to watch local works by way of immersing themselves in Singaporean literature, music and so forth and cinema becomes a natural extension of that desire to consume culture that is closer to home, closer to the heart.

The point is to cast the net wide and create many, many different kinds of opportunities for people to fall in love with these films and realise how important it is to support them. Education is a big point of access too — we need to immerse children from a young age with lots of local literature, film and stories in the curriculum. It needs to be a saturation of artistic works, not just one or two “token” texts.

As a Singaporean, how has your love for film changed your life?

Practically speaking, this love for film gave me something concrete I was very excited to study and pursue in university, as well as in my professional life.

Outside of that, film has given me all sorts of wonderful memories and have conversations with some incredibly introspective, colourful, passionate and hopeful people. Film people are fearless in a sense that they’re unafraid of going into those dark, scary corners of life and humanity. They venture into the uncomfortable waters of profound grief, intergenerational loss, madness, regret, among others. Film makes me feel a little braver, and a little less scared and alone amid trials and tribulations.

Source: MSN | World News

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