Eric Lim directed a documentary about Chek Jawa that will screen at this year’s Asian Film Symposium, the flagship film event of the Substation. 10 Sept, Picturehouse. The documentary focuses on the work of a group of passionate people who  document the bio diversity of this small patch on Pulau Ubin, and how this work was used to advocate the area’s preservation. Official film site here
Also showing at the Asian Film Symposium is Tan Chui Mui’s Love Conquers All, it is the opening film.

Sunday 12 August, 9pm, Arts Central, part of the other National Day Celebrations.

I wasn’t watching this on TV that night but according to this blogger who did, some bits of the Singapore GaGa telecast were omitted, when the tissue seller Ms Liang sang her “Jesus is Great” song in Hokkien dialect and our ensuing conversation after, and when the clog stomping juggler was recounting his experience of police brutality. Its not entirely obvious to me why these bits and not others were excised. But it gives you an idea of what is considered ‘sensitive’ in Singapore. In hindsight, I wish I had factored in my contract that I be consulted as to what be cut out. But I really I should be glad that they did not to cut out the National Day Parade segment since it was shown over the the Parade weekend! That would be tragic. Small victories.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Wearing The Not So Invisible Tee. Thank you Ovidia! Be like me, don’t change out if it. Now to plug Ovidia’s latest play, its Hitting (on) Women at Indignation, 11 August, 3pm, at Action Theatre. Ovidia I’ll wear your tee shirt too!

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

Picture taken at the world premiere by ampulets

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.

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

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

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.

And you can buy one too! Where to buy it? It will be sold at the world premiere on 19th July. Details here

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.

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!

Friend from my TV days, Wee Li Lin’s latest film opens in July. Its called Gone Shopping. To commemorate the Great Singapore Sale that has just begun here in Singapore, here’s a still from the movie

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