Singapore Arts Festival @ Juorng East Library

I attended a talk organized by Singapore Arts Festival on the video "Old Places", in which one of the co-directors, Vitric Thng, was with us for a panel discussion on the video. The first video shown to us was actually a dance film, to portray one being trapped in an enclosed cage and by the moves of the dancer; one was able to infer her feelings - lonely, sad and slow. Vitric then commented on the dance film, saying it is rare in Singapore and dance films are special due to the film being able to bring across a message to the audience through dance steps. However, he gave his opinions on Hollywood films, in which he said that it was "crap" because when we walk out of the cinema, do we ever learn anything from it? The movie is just to give you entertainment for those 2 hours and earn your money. In his opinion, a powerful and good film is one where you think about it for a few days after watching it.

"Old Places" was a meaningful film which took down some of the old places in Singapore to showcase to the young generation and future generation about its rich history and culture, especially since many of these buildings would have to make way for new ones in the coming future. Not only does it capture the history, but also invite people that have been there before to express their views and recall the past experiences they had there. A meaningful film, all Singaporean children and the future batch must watch it. But the question that leaves me pondering is: Why, why do these buildings have to be demolished? Can’t they be kept as a “historical monument”? Yes, sometimes, old buildings have to make way for new buildings, such that Singapore can keep up with the pace of other countries such as Japan, especially since Singapore has a limited land area. But in the video, there are still some places such as Toa Payoh Market which has since been demolished. Many residents in the area wanted it to be kept, because the atmosphere is in the air, the interaction between the stall owners and the customers; one feels that going to the market is a form of happiness. Another example would be the playgrounds in the past, where there was sand. Today, can you find it? Children enjoyed this type of playgrounds because they could build sandcastles and it was just a stone’s throw away, instead of having to go to the beach.