Nowhere To Go: Politics, Fear And A Whole Lot Of Good People
U Kyaw Thar is a decent family man. He contributes to charity, helps the needy and dotes on his children. The second time we meet, he apologises for being late because he was at his son’s birthday party, and then he leaves early because his wife wants him home for dinner. He’s a decent family...
Nowhere To Go – The Rohingya
Update: Kulsum Bibi passed away a few days ago. The checkpoint looms. There are armed guards on both sides of the road. Our taxi – a cross between a tuk tuk and a pickup truck – lurches. The driver gasps, hesitates. He is nervy and jumpy and clearly afraid. And yet, five minutes earlier, this...
National Disservice
Recently, it hit me. I must take personal responsibility for the rising tide of xenophobia in Singapore. My life choices have led to the massive influx of foreigners here, which has in turn, resulted in growing anger from locals fearful that they are being squeezed out of their own country. I need to wo-man up...
One Baby Step
Six of us gathered at a little café yesterday. The meeting had been planned days before. We were going to discuss logistics for a private photo presentation by our friend, Toshi Kazama. No one said anything else beforehand, but we also knew we would be talking about Yong Vui Kong. His case weighed heavily on...
Faith… And The Kingdom Of Reverend Moon
Faith is a mysterious thing. What might be strange, even bizarre to some of us, is an act as natural as eating and breathing to those who believe.
Chan Chun Sing, Why You Cheat My Fewlings?
My heart leapt a few days ago when it appeared that Chan Chun Sing, the Acting Minister for Community Development Youth and Sports, was urging Singaporeans to be more accepting of unwed mothers. This group of women has faced official discrimination for the longest time – two examples: they’re not eligible for the same kind...
Three Mules, The MDP And The Mysterious Chia Choon Leng
His name was Lee Siaw Foo. Not many people know of him. Why should they? He was just a lowly drug courier from Sabah, who in the early hours of 28 August 2009, was dragged kicking and screaming out of his cell in Changi Prison, and into the execution chamber. His crime – trafficking 38.49...
A Week in Wukan
We first heard about Wukan late last year. “China’s rebel village,” the headlines screamed. Newspapers showed pictures of angry protestors rising up against what they perceived was an unjust system. In demonstration after demonstration, they accused local officials of corruption and illegal land grabs, of enriching themselves at the expense of the very people they’d...
Old Friend
Last month, we received an email from a young Australian called Thomas Hayes. Here’s a bit of what he said: “I returned from south east asia in october 2011 after a while backpacking around this part of the world. While i spent time in Cambodia, i was lucky enough to make friends with a guy...
And Now We’re Spud-less
It's the Spud's last day at Lianain Films. James calls it The End Of An Era. Sounds a little melodramatic, but he's right. It's hard to imagine work without the Spud.
Vampire Nights
We’ve been keeping vampire hours these past weeks. Breakfast at 4 in the afternoon, lunch at 7. The day ends at 7 the following morning, sometimes 8. We say our goodnights. Sleep. And then the madness starts again.
We’re Hiring!
Lianain Films is hiring! We're looking for a multi-tasking, kickass production assistant. Read what Kirsten Han has to say about working at Lianain Films.
