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Invisible to Premiere at pusan

Great news. Invisible City has been accepted to International Premiere at Pusan International Film Festival in October. Last year, PIFF provided finanicial support for Invisible City based on a 3 min trailer and a treatment. Now they are presenting the completed film to the world so this is a homecoming for them and for me.
Opus blogs about Pusan 06


For myself, international festivals are an opportunity to test Invisible City, to see if its internal scaffolding can traverse cultures, if this work that was made for a Singapore audience can survive and thrive out there, and if it does, in what form.
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Taken by Yuni Hadi at PIFF last year on the Hyundae (sp?) Beach where the festival is set (very Cannes-like, real sand). We country bumpkin Singaporeans saw the expansive ocean and decided to go for an early morning ocean plunge. The locals we were aghast, it was past the swimming season, the water was very chilly. I promptly caught a cold

LAST CHANCE TO SEE INVISIBLE CITY

The screenings in the past two weeks have been sold out. Due overwhelming response, and new shows are added on Fri, 10 August 9pm, Sat, 11 August 3pm. If you plan to watch Invisible City, call ahead to reserve your tickets 63326919. This is the last week, book now! Thank you for your support.

LURVE ME NOW

Some of you are asking how/where to watch this 3 min movie since the press keep mentioning it. Well Lurve me Now can be viewed here at Northwestern Unversity’s website. I made it in 1998 after I met Barbie for the first time up close and personal in Chicago’s FAO Schwatz (high class Toys R Us). I did a bit of research and found out deliciously that this popular Mattel toy was allegedly modelled after a German sex doll. I decided to take this double entendre to its natural conclusion.

Spotted at the Arts House

At last night’s screening of Invisible City, I met Aunty Mary my ex-landlady and Alex Abishaganaden (yes, he is Jacinta’s Dad) who appears in Singapore GaGa accompanying Yew Hong Chow. Anyway Aunty Mary said that she was there at the “10/26” incident, the incident accounted by Han Tan Juan. She was from Nan Chiau herself but her parents forbade her to participate in the school sit in. Despite the home ban, she and a couple of friends stole into Chung Cheng one night in 1956 to hang with the renegades, that she remembers clearly.

A video blog set up by current Chung Cheng students who interview their alumni (in chinese). Some parts are unintentionally hilarious
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“WE” opens at NUS Museum

As part of the ‘WE’ exhibition, Moving House is showing on a loop, 10 hours a day everyday except Monday until 4 Nov 2007. A harrowing thought: By then the tomb stone would have been bludgeoned 1900 times. Exhibition details here . And if you are there, check out the winebar KR50 too

The show is curated by Ahmad Masadi, Heman Chong, seen below talking to Adeline Chia of ST

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Francis Ng is also showing in this group show, seen below also talking to Adeline Chia of ST

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Also showing works by Ang Song Ming, Michael Lee, and Ming Wong.

Question & Answer

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Of the many Q&As that I have given at screenings of Invisible City, it must be more than 12 now, the best questions came from students at Temasek Junior College where Invisible City screened on 20 July. About 500 students watched it.
Do you make films because you have a message you want to spread, or just because you have a passion for film?

You are screening this film at a school, do you really believe that film is the best way to reach young people today?

Bingo!

Invisible City Opens!

The tickets for all the 7.30pm Invisible City screenings are sold out for this week. There are tickets left for the later 9pm screenings. Thank you for your word of mouth support, it has been invaluable. Meanwhile, book your tickets now to avoid disappointment. The Arts House Box office Tel 63326919.

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NUS Centre for the Arts World Premiere Q&A 19th July. Pix by ampulets

INVisible city talk at 72-13

I will be giving a ‘making-of’ Invisible City talk at Theatreworks 72-13 on Thurs, 26 July, 7pm, I will be showing clips of the film including its previous drafts, talking about the shooting and editing process. Its suitable for those who are interested in films that are made in the edit stage rather than at the script stage. Contains spoilers, you should watch the film first : ) Free. Call theatreworks at 67377213 to register
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Picture taken at the world premiere by ampulets

Radio Show @ Pu Tien Restaurant

Another Chinese Radio Interview, this time for FM95.8. Slightly different from the usual, I get to pick a restaurant I like to go to, talk about the food and on the side, talk about Invisible City. I chose Pu Tien Restaurant, 127 Kitchener Road, its near my studio, it has good food and I like the easy, yet slightly more formal ambience. The boss Mr Fang from Pu Tien himself welcomed us with an amazing spread. He also plied us with Chinese vodka, at least 50% proof, it was so strong it stunned us into silence. This man knows his food. he describes it as an avid gardener would talk about his blooms, quietly, confidently and with alot of love. Before I left, he asked me to leave a copy of Invisible City with him, he has business contacts in China and can get me distributed there. He says Chinese people are hungry for documentaries.

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Wong Lee Jeng interviews Mr Fang. Tune into FM95.8 on Wed, 11.45 18 July to hear about the restaurant

On the trail

On the publicity “campaign” trail last Saturday, I had one of the protagonists Han Tan Juan (???) come along for an interview on the late night Urbanite show. Mr Han is very well known in my parallel universe – amongst those who breathe Chinese. Once he stepped in to the FM100.3 studio, everyone jumped up to greet him. The DJ described him as Singapore’s walking encyclopaedia. Very accurate, he knows millions of Singaporean factoids and has written zillions of Zaobao columns on it. Not only that, he also teaches Chinese History at the Hainan Huay Kuan, all 5000 years of it though in Invisible City, he has a very different story to tell
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When the DJ asked him what it was like acting in Invisible City. Mr Han immediately said “I was not acting, everything I said in the documentary is real, it happened to me. I was a witness. I was not acting”. There was a momentary pause at the studio, the DJ stung, apologised for the slip and the show went on as per normal. I myself use “protagonist” but such a description is too clinical, it ascribes him a role to play. He would be offended.

Things they don’t tell you

Invisible City’s press screening takes place tomorrow. This is the screening for press before the documentary opens. I have never read an accurate account of what it really feels like the night before a big screening, so I will tell you. I feel totally vunerable and very fallible. This is the moment where I stand totally exposed before you, unadorned, and I deeply hope I connect with you, the audience, one way or other. If I don’t, ah well, at least I got to visit Snow City. Peace!

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pix by ampulets

AMBIENT SOUNDS of sago lane

Yesterday, I went to visit Ivan Polunin who is in Invisible City, and he had a present for me. He wanted to give me the ambient sound of Sago Lane (in Chinatown) that he recorded in the 1950’s so that I could hear what that street in Singapore sounded like. At the expense of sounding like I am a sound fetish, I can’t wait to hear it. Problem is, the tape is on quarter inch format and I don’t have the machine to play it. I’ll find a way and include it onto the Invisible City DVD as a special feature. I am dying of curiousity.

Invisible City

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The end of the production of Invisible City marks the beginning of another phase, the publicising of its run next month at The Arts House. This new phase is more fun. You get to meet people rather than sweat in the edit room agonising about how to subtitle “immortal” in Chinese. In this phase, I feel a like a politician at election time, shaking hands, kissing babies and in between, telling people about the film. But this is necessary. For without a marketing budget, how else are people going to find out about this if not through the horses mouth herself? So yesterday, Rojak was kind enough to let me gatecrash their swell party at National Stadium to play the trailer (world premiere!). Today, I find myself at another gathering to introduce the film. And so it will be for the next two months. I am fortunately helped by Mindwasabi and Teng Qian Xi. If you’d like to help help us publicise, link Invisible’s site to yours or even better, hang a film still which you can download from http://invisiblecity.sg. Thank you!

Hoi Polloi #2

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In the USA recently, I met Lucy. Top five questions for a US post mail lady.

1 You deliver your own mail?
Yes, I live in the area I deliver mail to. In fact, that is why I chose to live here, so I can come home in between mail drops to have a cup of tea or snack, listen to music.

2 What did you do before you emigrated to the USA?
I was a professor in the College of Physical Education in Anhui Province China. If I stayed on, I would be a principal by now.

3 So why did you come to the USA
The usual reasons, for my children.

4 Was it hard to get into the postal service?
Yes, I had to take four exams, including being tested for a good memory. My English is not good but I got in because of timing. I took my exam during 9/11 anthrax mail scare, people were not interested then. Now, even people with masters degrees don’t get in

5 Can you give me a ride in your van
Sorry no, its against regulations.

Hoi Polloi #1

insurance for filmmakers

A filmmaker friend asked me whether she should buy insurance for herself as she starts work on a middle budget film that has some overseas shooting. My stand is this: ALL filmmakers (not just directors, but crew members, even interns) MUST buy personal accident insurance for yourselves because of the higher risk of injury that being in this industry entails. I have been in many shoots in Singapore where safety is compromised because of the need to finish fast or where there is not enough personnel to ensure that a job is properly done. Double these risks if you are overseas and in unfamiliar terrain

Don’t depend on the coverage from your company because their insurance is likely to cover their equipment more than it covers you. If you are a freelance crew member, it may not cover you at all.
The genre of insurance to buy is called “personal accident” insurance. You can insure yourself for the scenario where you lose a limb or life caused by accidents. (eg one leg, $50,000, one toe $5,000). The bigger the cover amount, the higher the premium. Some insurance plans cover you for loss of income while you are hospitalised or immobile. Others pay for you to be airlifted back for treatment if you are injured overseas. All for as little as SGD200/year.
Please note that the personal accident insurance does not cover you for hospital expenses. For hospitalisation make sure that you have medishield coverage (or their private permutations like incomeshild or myshield etc). For wall to wall coverage, you should buy the rider too. Hospital bills, especially prolonged stays can wipe your family out.

I googled and came up with some plans: NTUC income, AXA, for personal accident coverage please feel free to add to list

This is a no brainer. Buy it!