SINdie Review: SGIFF2015 ““ Singapore Panorama Shorts 22 min read
Reading Time: 2 minutesSingapore Panorama Shorts 2 @SGIFF 2015 was a showcase of four distinctly local, Mandarin short films by young filmmakers. Here are our thoughts on them.
“˜Afloat’ (æ–—é±¼) by Reuben Foong
Foong said during the post-screening discussion that this film was inspired by events from his own past. As a child, he had a tutor who was a “peidu mama” (“study mama” ““ a colloquial local term used to describe foreign women who come to Singapore to accompany their children who attend school here) from China. Her daughter would sometimes talk to him after his tuition sessions, and speaking once about the journey taken by herself and her mother, she told him something he never forgot: “We’ll do whatever it takes to stay together.”
Afloat is an unflinching take on the realities faced by a similar mother-and-daughter pair thrown into the choppy waters of an alien, unforgiving society, with nothing but each other to cling to.
Xiao Wen, a withdrawn, introspective seventeen-year-old, is picked on by her younger classmates and relies on two pet fighting fish for companionship (the Chinese title of the movie translates as “fighting fish”). Her mother is a steely, determined woman, working as a masseuse to support both of them.
The acting of both main characters is brilliant, and scenes with the two of them have moments of tangible tenderness. In one scene, Xiao Wen’s mother buys her a hearty meal at a fast food restaurant, eating nothing herself. She appears to take pleasure just in watching her daughter eat, even if this is a particular indulgence given their limited means. However, when she asks hopefully if Xiao Wen is enjoying the meal, the homesick girl artlessly replies that it is okay but that it doesn’t taste as good as a similar meal back in their home country. The short exchange speaks volumes.
With a focus on realism underscored by Foong’s liberal use of long takes, Afloat is a true example of showing rather than telling, refraining from moral judgments and letting the actions of the characters speak for themselves. Despite an ending that is somewhat predictable (yet still distressing), it is all around excellent.
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