'木偶' (String Puppet Show) - A Short Film
'木偶' (String Puppet Show) - A Short Film
This is a short film on the Chinese traditional '提线木偶' String Puppet Show which i made using footage filmed from last saturday at Bukit Merah. This is a traditional form of Chinese Puppet Show which was prevalent in the past with many of these troupes around but had largely declined over the years due to the rapid modernisation of Singapore and owners unable to find young successors interested in carrying on this trade and tradition. During the Hungry Ghost 7th month, these will be more commonly seen to entertain the deities, gods and wandering ghosts and spirits though i searched for an entire month before finding this on the last day of the 7th month because i wanted to capture just a simple footage of it to be inside the 七月早回家 short film. In end end I shot more than i had to. The uncles and aunties performing in the show did not stop me from filming but were warm, friendly and we exchanged smiles as i moved around the small stage to film and capture them at their best weening their intricate skill in moving and pulling the puppets strings and playing the Chinese instruments. The language spoken by the 'puppets' is Hokkien which is also my dialect. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, felt at ease and an inner peace inside, and as though i was part of the performance during the filming. I hope to present this fast extinct traditional art form in its best form and beauty, one which i grew up seeing and hearing this at my old house back then. Perhaps some years from now when its no more around, a preservation of the past and a reminder of where i was and came from.