Due to LW’s work nature, she was invited to the screening of this documentary film. And me being her good friend and buddy, gets to enjoy this screening as well =D
Invisible City, or 「备忘录」 in Mandarin, is a documentary film. As the title depicts, it’s about the city that existed and still exists, but yet invisible to many of us. You got it, it’s about the history of Singapore, from a different context.
Filmed by a local director, Tan Pin Pin, the main aim of this documentary film, is to let viewers understand the fast pace of change of Singapore from the 1950s till the Singapore that you see today. My point of view, however, I think the film is more on allowing us to appreciate how our peers (e.g. the archaeologists) are trying their best to protect our existing knowledge of Singapore’s history, as well as to dig out more truth about what we’ve learnt from our history textbooks.
It’s an interesting film in general, but you’ll get bored easily if you totally detest history.
I’m actually touched by the works of the characters featured in the film. Especially the foreign expatriates, one who was a housewife here and took photos and developed her own photos in her house just out of pure interest (but hey! She was actually creating memories of Singapore at that time!), and another who took coloured videos in the 60s(or 50s?) (which was the first of its kind at that point of time) and he being an old man now, still tries his best to keep his films alive by rerecording them again.
In this fast pace of life in Singapore, how much memories do you possess? 10 years down the road, would you remember what you have done today, or would there be any significant event that might happen? Try taking your camera, and take snapshots or short videos as often as you can. Film your family, your grandparents, your friends, all short-lived happiness (like those gatherings you always have with khakis). 10 years or 20 years down the road, you’ll be glad that you have these photos and videos for memories.
30, 50 years down the road, the “Invisible City” that existed today, will be invisible to people of that generation. They will not be able to fully understand what we are going through now in year 2007. The only way to let this city be visible always, is to share your own history, regardless of which media you use.
Let us all create our own history and share with the next generation.