(56) Hero

Hero by Zhang Yimou is sadly, underrated by people disturbed by the supposedly political undertones of the film.





The final 20 mins of the film never fails to spook me, even if this is my 5th or 6th time watching it.

It is always easy to see things on the surface and then criticize, but as if we ourselves or anyone else could have done it any better.

Downstairs

Meaningful documentary done by my seniors back in school for their final-year-project.

We're a peculiar country, where even millionaires have to stay in government-subsidised apartments. You can lose count on the number of Benzs and BMWs around some of the estate carparks. 80% of the people live in HDB flats. But at times we take the comforts of these flats for granted, lamenting instead on the inability to own our own plot of land the way they do on tv. But we forget our country has her limitations and as citizens, shouldn't we understand her better?

downstairs from Helmi Ali on Vimeo.

I like this film a lot. It's very sincere and captures a significant part of our country.

Cinema Blog

I'm going to keep this blog a cinema blog, a record of the films I've watched and my afterthoughts. All short and sweet. Of course, please excuse my occasional histrionic rant about the things close to my heart.

Anyway thanks Jinyong on the heads up on this film (trailer below). Asian arthouse films may have ignited my love for cinema but I now also see and appreciate the beauty even in conventional mass appeal ones.

I don't rate online discourses, big words and big ideas very much. Firstly, I don't do well with them and secondly, they are at best, merely ideas. Of course, I recognize that there are areas we need to improve. And we have to, if we want our society to progress. But there's no need to sow discord, to disrupt or to hurt. At least from my socio-conservative point of view.

I'm not a sell-out. I'm doing this because I love my country and firmly believe in the values upon which this country is founded on. I'm just another farmer, not a high-flyer. But I see value in dedicating a good part of my life to serving the nation.

Of course I'm still chasing after my cinematic dreams. And why not? I don't see any problem with it.

Singapore tops the list for least corrupt

We were third last year but now tie at the top with Denmark and New Zealand.

The Daily Telegraph
Fit to Post

"I lived in Singapore from 1983 thru 1989, working at the National University which means I was a Singapore civil servant and most of my colleagues and students were Singaporeans. Your readers should understand that the Singapore government is completely honest and the most efficient in Asia, possibly in the world. It is in general a superb government from which we could learn a great deal. The only problem it has had has always been this extreme sensitivity to criticism. This is partly a cultural thing since Chinese people in general find personal criticism offensive. Nevertheless, the former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew is, apart from thos one failing, by far the best political leader in the post-colonial world and Singapore's economic success is a proof of his great life-long leadership. You must certainly have known that they would sue you as they have in the past. It does your paper no credit to pretend surprise and indignation."

Your Grandfather's Road

We share the same culture and history with Malaysia but somehow it always makes me wonder why we couldn't make films like Yasmin Ahmad or do something like Your Grandfather's Road? I like how this project involves the community. Over here, there's a huge disconnect between the ordinary citizens and those in the arts.

Ok, at least we can take pride that we have Catherine Lim and Liang Wern Fook.

Direct Cinema

I'm a sucker for narrative films shot with digital video (best if it's analog) and with the documentary style of direct cinema or cinema verite. I attribute this largely to the inspiring classes with Prof Zimmermann during my last semester in university. Sometimes when I lack motivation, I try and recall those lectures again and they always help make me feel better.

And she always like to say, "You have the best government in the world... and the best health care system!"

Ok this post actually belongs to Nick Broomfield. Anyone knows where you can get his films in Singapore?

(15) JSA Ending Scene

I have never been quite interested in Korean films, maybe because of the explosion of K-Pop and the craze it has become in Singapore. But one of my most unforgettable cinematic moments has to be the ending scene in the Korean film, Joint Security Area by Park Chan Wook.



I would advice watching the entire film to better appreciate the final scene. Don't think you can find the DVD around here though I have it in VCD from a long time ago. On another note, Quentin Tarantino named this film in his list of 20 favorite films.

The Buddha's Last Words

After the conversion of Subhadda, the Buddha spoke again to Venerable Ananda. "It may be, Ananda, that some of you will say, 'without the Buddha, the Sublime Teacher, there is no teacher for us'. No, Ananda, you should not think in this way. Whatever doctrine and discipline taught and made known by me will be your teacher when I am gone."

Then the Buddha, addressing the other monks said, "If any amongst you has any doubts as to the Buddha, the teaching, or the order of monks, ask me now so that afterwards you may have no cause to regret that you did not ask me while I was still with you."

But at these words, none of the monks said anything. None had any questions, and all of them were silent. For the second and third time the Buddha addressed the monks in this way. And for the second and third time, all the monks were silent.

The Buddha said, "Perhaps it may be out of respect for the teacher, that you do not question me. Let a friend, O disciples, tell it to another friend." Still the disciples remained silent.

Then Venerable Ananda spoke to the Buddha, "It is wonderful. It is marvellous, Lord! I do believe that in all this great company of monks there is not a single one who has doubts or questions about the Buddha, the teaching or the order of monks, or the path and the method of training and conduct."

"With you, Ananda," said the Buddha, "this may be a matter of faith and belief. But, Ananda, I know that not one single monk gathered here has any doubt or question about these things. Of all the 500 monks here, Ananda, he who is the most backward is a sotapanna, not subject to fall back to a lower state of existence, but is certain and destined for enlightenment."

Then the Buddha addressed all the monks once more, and these were the very last words he spoke:

"Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."

Then the Buddha lapsed into the jhana stages, or meditative absorptions. Going from level to level, one after the other, ever deeper and deeper. Then he came out of the meditative absorption for the last time and passed into nirvana, leaving nothing whatever behind that can cause rebirth again in this or any other world.

The passing away, or the final nirvana of the Buddha, occurred in 543 BC on a full-moon day in the month of May, known in the Indian calendar as Vesak.

Credit: Buddhanet.

Confessions

On set JJTW!

Despite spending 4 years in a communication school specializing in the broadcast and cinema track, I have not made one single film that I'm proud of and say, "Hey! this is good!" Maybe I'm just not good enough, or maybe I don't have the luck others have. Whatever it is with 2010 coming to an end I'm in a rush to make a short film soon. Except that I have no inspiration. These are the confessions of a Amateur/Wannabe/Guerrilla/Sunday/Hobbyist Filmmaker (whose closest encounter with real celluloid film are the dusty aluminum cans of Kodak 16mm).

On another note, I have two law papers to sit for this week, a requirement as part of our training. Law is an interesting subject to study but I reckon I don't have a flair for it. I cannot debate and I can't argue for nuts' sake. Please, have mercy.

Braddell Heights SMC

Braddell Heights could become a single-member constituency (SMC) for the coming elections. Personally I think my MP had a very good term, despite it being his first and him being one of the youngest MP in Parliament. I could see amenities that were previously non-existent introduced to the estate. Parks, sheltered walkways, platforms for the disabled and even proper goalposts on a big empty field and graffiti art on plain walls of HDB void decks.

My mom says that the MP will definitely win in an election. He is active in the grassroots and has the support of especially the older folks in the poorer part of the constituency. Apparently, my mom was most impressed when she saw the MP sent off a group of old folks on a short vacation trip in the wee hours of the morning.

It may be a simple gesture, but says a lot about the character of a young MP, whom you have to admit, won his seat because of a walkover and helped by the presence of a bigger political figure, i.e. SM Goh. Contrary to what critics and online activists would like to point out, that gesture is a simple example that the ruling party has not conveniently forgotten the older folks and the ordinary citizens of Singapore.

Ok now go easy. I'm not a socio-political blogger.

Buddhist Conference 2554

Sri Lankan Theravada, Korean Mahayana and Tibetan Vajrayana. (L-R)

It's a great experience being a Buddhist in Singapore because of the opportunities to be exposed to all the three different traditions of Buddhism. Everyone is supportive of one another, irrespective of the schools we come from. It was a tranquil atmosphere yesterday at the Conference when the Sangha from the three traditions (above) led us in a merit-sharing session in three different languages. It was a timely reminder that the Buddha's teachings of wisdom and compassion resonates across cultures, languages and time.

Timor-Leste

As an alumni of the GO-Far programme, I'm really proud to see the juniors gaining so much more exposure than previous groups. They had an entire Saturday Special with their stories.

And this multimedia piece on ST Thru' the Lens as well.

I'm not embarrassed to say that I think their video was much better than what we did last year. (Forgive me teammates!)

jute fields

Much as accessibility is poor and traveling around Bangladesh is a real chore, I kinda miss those days when we were in the country, with an aim of telling good stories with our video cameras. On hindsight, don't think we did justice to our reporting work, there were so much more we could have done better. Joon-Nie said that her biggest regret was not to let her Masters thesis film gain better exposure. Somehow I had a premonition that I would feel the same, someday in years to come.

This isn't from our reporting but I'm still in the midst of editing it better and hopefully have them out in festivals soon.

The Bird that Shakes the Jute Fields from Liew Shi Xiong on Vimeo.

(14) Election 2

There is no doubt the political undertones in Johnnie To's Election 2 and the sympathy to socio-conservatism and an authoritarian state, a somewhat reference to the Chinese government. Is it just me or is there anyone else out who also spotted the subtle references to one of Singapore's political pioneers?

我们不是不相信选举。

We respect the election system.

我们是怕两年后选出来的人会搞乱社会秩序. 这是我们不想见到的。

But when your term is up,we don't want a punk to take over, only to upset the social order. This is something we want to avoid.

It is disturbing to watch this DVD print by Scorpio East on the 4:3 aspect ratio, leaving out a lot of details which the filmmaker would have wanted us to see, especially since To and his Milkway comrades always shoot on the Technoscope format.

Manchester United is a team not a one man show.

Respect the Club and its traditions.

It is times like this that reminds me of the old workhorses and the original Fergie Fledglings. Even more so in Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. And despite his departure, David Beckham, whose love and admiration for this Club is immeasurable.

Synopsis

Of Jalan Jalan to the West:

Ah Soon, Mohammed, Hampton and Shah are four undergraduate bums who set off to Changi Village in search of the perfect nasi lemak supper. But what seems like an ordinary supper run results in a completely unexpected night – including a transvestite, a fake deaf mute, and an insane kidnapper – that will test their friendships and ultimately, their stomachs.

The Producer's Homework

Marcus and his director statement in Jalan Jalan to the West production blog.

"It is full of nonsense."

Oh, you mean a director's statement is not an actual statement? Right, right, let me start again.

See, the thing about Singaporean short films is that the majority of them are emo, angsty, and gay. I like them (who doesn't secretly like emo?) but then again I feel they gave a very skewed representation of Singapore. If we all died in a freak meteorite strike, future generations who dig up our short films would think that we were a very emo, angsty, and gay nation. But that not's true.

Singapore is really a pretty fun place to live in, if not for the weather. Bitch all you want about the economy or the government or foreign talent, the fact of the matter is what we are a pretty interesting bunch and we do have many (free) activities to waste our time on.

You can look all the weirdos on the MRT, for one. Laugh at the bewildered looks of tourists trying to figure out our national language - a bizarre mishmash of four languages. Go to the zoo (it is really pretty engrossing). Pay $100 to go into a casino. OK maybe not the last one.

So I set out to make a short film to defy all these norms that short films have set. A road trip, a comedy, just about a bunch of Singaporeans doing silly things. Of course, I also wanted to be special and be a pioneer and all that. But that has never detracted from my ultimate goal.

To entertain you.


Jeremy and Wenxu are currently editing the film. And if you would like to support Marcus' work, catch Silver Lining on Channel 5 every Tuesday, 8:30pm . He is one of the writers for the show.

Random musing

Having recently stepped down from the committee and now entering the life of an working adult, I looked back at my journey as a Buddhist youth serving in the mission as probably the best days of my life. The journey was not easy. I am sure many in the current group can attest to that. The harsh reality is that there isn't enough support, especially from people that matters.

Here at SBM, we are fortunate to have the fullest backing of our adult committee, something we recognised as peculiar, compared to many groups out there. But coming from a small temple with very limited resources, there's only so much we can do. Though I believe that small really is beautiful. We can do small things in our small ways with our small premises without all the unnecessary politicking or red-tape. This is something I am sure all our members should be mindful of and can appreciate. The little temple in the corner of Ruby Lane has accompanied your journey through your teenage years, like it did to me. My only hope is that you all continue to serve the Mission with the purest of all intentions and motivations and continue to let the Dhamma thrive in the hearts of the young people, who may have the kammic affinity to come across our doorsteps.

Destroy Mara Save the Dhamma game booth, Vesak 2007.

This is a GEM!

Who says young Singaporeans can't be creative?

cleaning up

Massive cleaning up on my computer, the desktop and the recently-hacked MSN/Hotmail account. I put up a still from the Shaw classic film, Ten Tigers from Kwangtung, as my wallpaper to remind myself of not only the magic of cinema but also the values of loyalty, brotherhood and courage. I'm the typical Asian male.

(13) Eye in the Sky (2007)

I am invisible. I am inaudible. The enemy's fate is in my hands.

(12) Running Out of Time (1999)

"Looks like we won't see each other again."
"Only in this life, doctor."

Directed by Johnnie To.

"farewell oh tower of strength, in which stowed away the heart of a revolutionary, now bleeding for his sons to see... rest in peace"
- Tim De Cotta

My junior back in university wrote the above. It struck me, thinking quite hard.

Passing Out Parade at Marina Bay

"At this rate my son will pass out at Sentosa Cove and serve 0.5 years of NS."
- Marcus Goh

NTU WKWSCI

I miss my friends and school and being back at the blue building, learning and playing in the benches, the lecture hall, the tutorial rooms, the editing suites and those big dreams. Memories and experiences that you know you cannot go through again.

Our last lecture together as Class of 2010.

国母，再见了

Mdm Kwa Geok Choo or Mrs Lee Kuan Yew has passed away at age 89. It's a black Saturday as we bid a final farewell to a lady who is undoubtedly the Mother of our young nation, having stood by the country through thick and thin.

"If she weren't an influence, supposing I had married somebody else, I might have become a different person, not that I would be a different person, but the things that I would have been able to do, the kind of backdrop I would have had, family, support, would have been different..."
- MM Lee.

“What to do? What else can I do? I can’t break down. Life has got to go on. I try to busy myself, but from time to time in idle moments, my mind goes back to the happy days we were up and about together.”
- MM Lee in his interview with the New York Times last month.

"Many would not know of her quiet but important contributions to the State, as she walked that long road with him. She followed him faithfully – always by his side – throughout all changes that befell him in his political career... By his side she helped him pursue his chosen path in politics, preoccupied always with the good of Singapore before anything else, which she shared."
- President Nathan

ICAC

I only found out yesterday that Hong Kong's anti-graft agency, ICAC, invites top film directors to direct their popular TVB series, ICAC Investigators. Dante Lam of this year's Fire of Conscience and The Stool Pigeon directs the first episode of the 2004 series.

Watch online here: Battle of Wits.