quote of the week

“He was like a man from the provinces in one of the capital's theaters, who's racking his brains at trying to figure out the actors and their respective parts.”
(Mori Ogai, Kanzan Jittoku (1916))

HU-Japanologie: Screenings in July

The Japan Film-AG continue their screenings with two more films this month, including Shinoda Masahiro’s “Shinjû ten no Amijima”/”Double Suicide” on July 12^th, while there will be no projections at the Arsenal this month and next – your deserved summer break. Have a look at all the details here.
But above all: do take note of the fantastic opportunity to catch renowned director/actor Sabu/Tanaka Hiroyuki (Posutoman burusu, Kôfuku no kane, Shisso) in an exclusive Q&A at the Mori-Ôgai-Gedenkstätte, Luisenstr. 39 on July 10^th, from 6pm! Not to be missed!

(pic©hu-berlin.de)

“the torch” #10 – in the crux: voice-over narration

There's a call going out this week from Sinema's column “The Torch” as its sub-series “in the crux” voices a simple and clear-cut demand: let images speak! If your medium of choice be in the realm of all things visual and their power to speak out for you as a genuine act of self-expression, why not trust in that very power to communicate and convincingly tell your story to the full? What if anything can be won by applying the peculiar technique of voice over narration to a film's on-screen unfolding? In the limelight are the numerous implications to this particular technical aspect of film making, a challenging discussion is opened up of whether it is really that simple to create visual poetry by textually giving a voice to moving images? You can follow the line of argumentation for yourself: here.

(pic©mo)

quote of the week

“One must make the great changes for oneself or it doesn't amount to destiny.”
(Shirley Hazzard, The Great Fire (2004))

Finally: Europe goes digital!

Yesterday it was announced by the AAM (Arts Alliance Media) that a deal has been struck to share the costs of furbishing up cinemas across Europe to suit digital film projection. If you think back at the more than winding road we've been travelling to finally arrive at this junction you may now easily rejoice and hail the new and promising times of a substantially reduced price tag to film productions and ex aequo, a wider range of movies to make it into the theaters.

But easy, not too fast, you might be in for a disappointment if you look at the details. The agreement was reached not with a broad based negotiation partner on the side of content providers like the FIAPF for example, but with Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures International solely. Consequentially, this settlement may affect these studios' back catalogues and current as well as future productions, we may rightfully assume. What with the many countries and their multitude of smaller but at least, I should think, equally creative enterprises that account for all the rest but are not part of the deal, the effect may prove to be less than quite that positive. We all know how it is big Hollywood companies with their blockbusters who firmly hold the reins where control of distribution channels in Europe is concerned, including screens access, it sadly must be added here. If 7.000 screens are now to be thus equipped as has been announced in this context, saving the industry an alleged 1 billion $ in production money a year, an already firm grip on these facilities could very well further tighten and eventually exclude third party content from having access altogether, practically if not nominally.

I'm not wishing for the worst, so I hope, but in my view there is the real danger slowly emerging at the horizon of a soon to be felt technical divide between the big players' monopolized infrastructure and the remainder of independent, well-programmed art-house cinemas, barely surviving – but for how long? Face it, your beloved movie theater that treats you and like-minded aficionados to global content and quality will hardly be able to afford the 50.000 € per screen to meet digital standards by integrating the server/projector set. Taking into account the “way of the world”, which in this case is roughly congruent with the way of the market and consumer behaviour (including your own!), it is easy to see where this will get us, right?

In my opinion this clearly and instantly calls for the right people in the right places to take notice (and action), namely all the respective national, but first and foremost, the European institutional bodies responsible for cultural affairs. Safeguarding cultural diversity and anti-cartel market regulation being their set task and assigned prerogative, ways need to be cleared in order to prevent a dichotomy from taking root in our film landscape that can be nothing but disastrous in its “downscaling” effects. If need be, funds will have to be allocated to ensure independent productions to stay in the market and be lucrative on their own terms. Because obviously, their increasingly preferred option of pursuing an HD facilitated end-to-end work flow would over time see almost any non-aligned film production on a collision course with distribution, meaning: screening outlets. With small, courageous production companies being forced to work on a tight budget anyway, and daring distributors equally happy to avoid the horrendous cumulative costs of any release with 35mm copies at a price of 1.000 € each, you end up with somehow having to cover the expenses for an initial HD to 35mm transfer ranging at about 450-500 $ per minute. Now how do you perform that feat, I wonder?

If anyone concerned is in need of a wake-up call, take this one for a start – and don't say you haven't be warned when it's too late! (You never know what you've got till it's gone, or do you?) Our cultural heritage is deserving of and entitled to state, that is public protection for our common good. And this includes self-expression in the making, the contemporary arts as well.

(pic©Sean Pecknold)

quote of the week

“The sunset is great, even when it's fading.”
(The Last Communist, Amir Muhammad (2006))

“the torch” #9 – Last exit Hollywood

Sinema's fortnightly column “The Torch” this time tackles the issue of mind building via storytelling and explores how intelligent film can stand particularly strong against the backdrop of formulaic studio mass production. It pointedly asks the question if young independent film makers for example in a country like Singapore, instead of serving the same dishes all over again, couldn't actually benefit the most from self-consciously occupying that niche which is their own home territory on the map of imagination and by doing so eventually claim an ever widening margin of audience attention worldwide.
If you want to have a closer look at such a positive and constructive concept of “applied parochialism”, all you need to do is simply click: here.

(pic©mo)

quote of the week

“Likewise the shape of the human body is not particularly interesting as such. It is a mirror of the soul. It's the inner light shining through a form which is of interest.”
(Auguste Rodin as in: Mori Ogai, Hanako (1910))

quote of the week

Wär' nicht das Auge sonnenhaft,
Wie könnten wir das Licht erblicken?
Lebt' nicht in uns des Gottes eigne Kraft
Wie könnt' uns Göttliches entzücken?

If not the eye were of the sun,
how could we ever see the light?
If not in us lived god's own might,
how'd we be touched by things divine?

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Zur Farbenlehre/Theory of Colours (1810))

“the torch” #8 – What festivals (won't necessarily) do

Successfully showcasing an independent production to international audiences and distributors requires a feasible networking strategy. “The Torch” looks into the matter of how this very term in practical fact translates into a twofold approach to the kind of crucial choices film makers have to make these days when deciding on which festival to take their films to. While the networking part involves the personal dimension of forging ties of mutual interest, establish sturdy bonds across cultural differences, a strategy is needed as well to secure maximum return on capital spent in a targeted publicity effort. And Singapore film for one in its reinvigorated dynamism today has every reason to make good use of the established circuit's various opportunities for branding itself. Go for full details of this week's topic: here.

(pic©mo)

quote of the week

“He speaks in your voice, American, and there's a shine in his eye that's halfway hopeful.”
(Don DeLillo, Underworld (1997))

HU-Japanologie: Screenings in June

Yep, it's gonna be a fine and sunny month, it is, and what could be better than a matching series of first-class Japanese movies to go along with it? The Japan Film-AG will bring you just that and as always, you can get all the details right: here. (I only wonder, why is that one Tsukamoto film not included; everybody seen it already?)
My personal pick and special recommendation to anyone in chronically short supply of quality stuff of most any kind (just like myself) is the classic Imamura's “Akai satsui/Murderous Instints” (1964), which screening on June 14^th I unfortunately won't have the time to attend. So go there and do report back to me, will you?

(pic©hu-berlin.de)

quote ot the week

"Gut denn, es gibt also keinen Gott, wenigstens nicht für mich. Aber, mon cher ami, es gibt ein Fatum. Und weil es ein Fatum gibt, geht alles seinen Gang, dunkel und rätselvoll, und nur mitunter blitzt ein Licht auf und läßt uns gerade soviel sehen, um dem Ewigen und Rätselhaften, oder wie sonst Ihr's nennen wollt, seine Launen und Gesetze abzulauschen."

"Here now, there is no God, at least not for me. But, mon cher ami, there is fate. And because there is a fate, all things run their course, dark and enigmatic, and but rarely does a light shine through to let us glimpse of the Everlasting and the Ominous, or whatever name you'd like to call it, just so much as to behold its whims and proper laws."

(Theodor Fontane, Quitt (1890))

“the torch” #7 – A different kind of National Day

In the sense that they both, film and politics alike, deal with the individual and its situation in society, the primary questions of our social embedding, so to speak, there is this mutuality that demands of each sphere to respect the other, regardless of what tensions there may arise between the two as a matter of incidents or principles. When the Singapore Censorship Board decided in 2003 to make any number of cuts to Royston Tan's controversial film “15: The Movie” and ban the original DVD version from sale altogether, this crucial balance was once more shown to be of little concern to the authorities in Singapore. In this week's column, “The Torch” addresses this singular event and its wider implications, and poses the question of what actually marks a nation's true independence. You get it here.

(pic©mo)

quote of the week

“Sachen kommen und gehen. Ich werde versuchen, so viel wie möglich festzuhalten.” /
“Things come and go. I will try to hold fast to as much as possible.”
(Egoshooter, Christian Becker/Oliver Schwabe (2004))

"Becoming Royston" - the exclusive interview

Interview with director Nicholas Chee and producer Randy Ang from Singapore on occasion of the world premiere of “Becoming Royston” in Cologne, April 30^th 2007

mo: First of all: Congratulations to you both for the successful world premiere of your first ever feature length film here in Cologne! Thanks for bringing it to Germany to have it shown at the Cineasia Filmfestival, and yes, obviously, for granting me this interview on the occasion of course. Appreciate it.

Tell us how you have experienced this multiple premiere for you as film makers here in Cologne, please. What are the strongest, the most immediate impressions you will be taking home?

Randy Ang, producer (R): Thank you! More Kölsch anyone?

Nicholas Chee, director (N): It was a surreal experience actually to actually have a premiere in Cologne, Germany. When we decide to make the film all we wanted was to tell a story and also to make a point that if you have enough belief in something, it can actually happen. Cineasia was a truly great experience, to see the audience laugh at the same jokes and especially the Q&A part was great.

mo: What is the significance of having had the first screening of “BR the feature” not in Singapore but in Europe, in Germany in particular? Did you observe any differences in reactions to the film by a non-Asian audience?

R: To qualify: we did a festival screening at the Asian Festival of First Film in November 2006 but that version was not the one that premiered in Germany. The film in Germany is the 'final' version. So I am able to answer the second part of your question. As observed, Germany is very similar to our own country, our people share a lot of similar gripes about our society and the way of life, more similar than I could have imagined before coming over. There is always a core group of film lovers who would attend festivals, have things to say after, same everywhere. So the bases of my personal feel is on this group. I couldn't say the same for the general audience. The audience seems much more receptive of works from Asia, especially independent productions. Perhaps it is because works from here may seem unique or even exotic; whereas back here independent works are usually (largely) ignored. One cannot help but argue about the population mass but the sense of acceptance (personally) was so much more. It is rather hilarious come to think of it when our film has so much cultural references. Perhaps, you guys try harder. And I thank you all for that.

N: It is important for us to have a foreign audience and especially with voting afterwards. It really helped us as filmmakers to know how to improve on what worked and what didn't. Most of the audience laughed at the same points which meant the stories were pretty universal, which is good news!

mo: What makes BR a Singaporean film in essence, and what by contrast, makes it appeal to international audiences as well?

R: The theme of the film is universal. We dream. We try to live given a reason to live. We "try to" live to the fullest. We all have our dreams, fulfilled, unfulfilled or discharged. And our fates are often not shaped by our hands but by the people or society around us. Maybe we all relate to that.

N: The story speaks of very common characters and relationships in Singapore. Also because Singapore already has an international appeal, in fact by showing the non-conventions of Singapore, the film worked better.

mo: In some shots in Ah-girl's room there is this “2046” poster to be seen in the background, surely not by accident. To take it as a tip of the hat in the direction of Wong Kar Wei, what seems like a possible parallel is this recurring theme of escapism by the arts figuring prominently in his works, in Wong's that is. Now, does Boon Huat try something similar? Does BR tell a tale in that same mold, of an escape of some sort?

R: It is by accident actually, haha. The poster matched the sheets we've got and I just happened to have WKW's posters around. There is a "Pulp Fiction" poster too for the record. Since you have read it that way, let me try to answer this: I think, and I don't know if Nic agrees. Boon Huat first escapes by choice. Later on, the choices he had to make were purely accidental. So perhaps the parallel is this: We wanted to make a film (by choice) but when making it, a lot of things were "accidental" in the way we try to shape the scenes based on the situation we were in at the time (budgets, lack of sleep...etc). Watching a movie is escapism in itself, don't you agree?

N: WKW has been a great influence as many young filmmakers would tell you too. WKW is only one part of the equation, Christopher Doyle (Cinematography) is another major part and not to forget William Chang Suk Ping (Art Direction). We all want to escape the present to an ideal future. Perhaps the struggles and circumstance of the lower working-class of Hong Kong and Singapore are pretty similar in that visual sense, we definitely couldn't have done it the Hollywood way. Kudos to Randy Ang and Ken Minehan for the great interpretation of the scenes.

mo: Boon Huat strikes one as an almost unnervingly naïve kind of guy, so much so as to have you wonder if he will ever grow up. Then of course he learns some lessons, the hard way. Is this philosophy turned into practice or rather a natural, low-key trial-and-error approach to life? Does understanding come to him “through the deed” or while being “asleep”, and would it match your own life's experience?

R: Simply put: I think we all learnt through experiences. We learnt filmmaking while making a film and not in a classroom where we are taught "how" a film "should" be made. Boon Huat is a sponge but not a rather good sponge.

N: In some sense, it is rather autobiographical for me. I could only tell stories I knew, much like Boon Huat. Life is meant to be lived, not to be understood. You can't learn about life in the classroom or a text book and even if you could learn the theories, you have to pretty much fuck up a few times to get it right. I think we are obsessed with doing everything right the first time that we forget about living at all.

mo: Advancement of self, that's an issue on many levels, both in BR and in Singaporean society itself. While Europeans generally think Asians, especially of the younger generation, to be mostly materialistic in their approach to life, how do you feel about such a perception?

R: Sigh. Too much Japanese mobile phone commercials. I think in Singapore, we are taught to own things. Seriously. We seldom want to rent, we seldom want to borrow, we want to own. I think we are materialistic yes. But more importantly, the problem lies in that when we own more, we care less. I was looking at my beef steak last night and was wondering where the meat came from. Was it a good cow? What makes a good cow? How was the weather like when it was slaughtered? Did the person who killed the cow have any feelings for it, more likely not, it is a job? Maybe, as he was slaughtering the cow, he thought, damn, I want a better job so that I can afford to buy more stuff? Maybe I should slaughter more cows, but that would populate the market with more cows and I can charge less for this one. Sigh. I just want that new NOKIA phone.

N: Materialism is a multifaceted concept. We have a constant need to be fulfilled either materially or spiritually. Because Asia is only experiencing the cultural revolution 2 generations later than Western Europe, (think arts and culture) we could only fill ourselves with things we can have easy access to. Material goods seems to be the easy way out. I see the same trends with developing nations too but the main difference is that culture developed alongside economic development but that did not happen to much of South East Asia.

mo: Now the easy questions: What makes a good movie? Do you believe you've done reasonably well with BR by these measures?

R: You must be kidding. A good movie to me is one that you can watch a very bad (perhaps, copied) DVD, with poor syncing and bad picture quality but you totally enjoyed the movie. I think BR has gotten good responses.

N: A good movie is one that is relevant to the audience. It has to matter to those who watch it. We try to achieve that with BR, technicalities aside, I think the whole team has put their vision into this little project and that made a difference.

mo: What was the one most tested quality in yourselves when making this film, beginning to end? Speaking to the matter as a director/producer, what is the most valuable lesson you've learned in the process?

R: Patience and believe in each other, not just the director but everyone who worked on the film. My most valuable lesson, sadly revolves around $, get enough (not too much) funding first before you proceed; less funding makes you work smarter, but please just start shooting.

N: I've learnt so much from the crew and cast, in fact I am the most inexperienced of the lot. I don't watch a lot of movies, I know nothing about making a film. The most valuable lessons that I have learnt while making BR is that I have to trust the people I worked with and managing expectations.

mo: How do you keep everybody who's been involved with this daring project motivated, despite the occasional setbacks and the absence of those handy millions?

R: The motivation firstly wasn't money. We all deep down believed that it is a worthy story to be told. But I would like to think that everyone was moving because Nic and myself believed more than anyone that this is going to be great, plus, it was just 13 days. The harder part was during post-production, which was for Nic and later on me getting over the sleepless nights.

N: I have to thank a few people here. Randy is the pivotal point in the whole project, his project management skills are second to none. His dedication was the sole reason that kept the production moving forward. He's truly a great friend and partner to work with. April Tong, who took the project management without even thinking twice, her experience and presence gave us so much confidence to move forward and Boi Kwong and Christina Choo helped me to manage the crew and took care of the entire production.

mo: Where do you go from here, both personally and professionally in this very special director-producer tandem of yours? What are your plans for the future? Any projects in film?

R: I have film projects in the works with other directors. Nic and I started Sinema.sg which we are expanding into a real media platform.

N: I'm working on my MA in Photography right now and I have a few stories in mind that I hope will come to light soon. The next step is to really push Singapore made films out to the world and I'd love to work with young talents and hopefully contribute to the growing industry.

mo: And finally, what if anything do you know “ymagon” to mean?

R: "Ymagon" is a very thoughtful dish best served between a beer and a good movie.

N: Ah, this one I have cheated a bit, from your blog! But if you ask me what it meant to me, I would say that it's a philosophy well worth pursuing and the sharing and exchange of Visual Culture is the right way to move forward to promote understanding for the future generations. Believe and it will happen my friend!

mo: Again, a big thank you to you, Nic and Randy, for taking the time! Bye and good luck for your future! Hopefully be seeing you back here in Germany some day soon, I should add.

World Telecommunications Day*

Yes y'all, do talk more
and dare yourself in words!

* now officially named "World Information Society Day".
Well, let's join in!

(pic©N.N.)

quote of the week

“We make history, and you write about it.”
(Ron Dennis)

quote of the week

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it.”
(Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie (1997))

HU-Japanologie: Screenings in May

After a prolonged period of “hibernation” the Japan Film-AG resumes its screenings this month with a series that focuses on some of the early 60s classics by cinema masters such as Ozu (again I seem to be too late here, sincerest apologies for that) and Ichikawa Kon, shown in their original language version. Take note also of Kurosawa Kiyoshi's “Ningen gôkaku”/”License to Live” being on at the Arsenal, May 21st. You can get all the details here.

(pic©hu-berlin.de)