On building bridges, wildlife spaces & communities
Heyo, Carman here. As some of you might know, I'm a Year 4 Undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, taking Communications New Media and Southeast Asian Studies.
What this essentially means is that IT'S TIME to work on my final-year thesis project.
Being the generous friend I am, naturally, I've decided to drag a few friends down this hellhole with me ( bless your souls, Alina and Hay Thi ).
So, here's a brief introduction to our project and what's been ongoing so far.
If you prefer, simply skip to the relevant section of interest:
What is a Practice-based Honours Thesis?
This is the first year the NUS Department of Communications & New Media (also known as NUS CNM) has introduced the Practice-based Undergraduates Honours Thesis. This can be done individually or as a group.
To read more about the department's requirements and application process, click here.
Why a Practice-based Honours Thesis?
The real question is: why not?
There's a variety of thesis types, not just in Singapore but globally. This is even more so with the onslaught of Covid-19; we're now seeing a growing number of thesis alternatives.
Personally, I do think we're quite fortunate to be able to get access to this one now.
Not only do you gain the opportunity to apply all the theoretical knowledge you've built up in your head, but you also get the chance to demonstrate your practical craft as well. Arguably, the latter is even more important for media professionals, where one's portfolio and projects are pivotal to growing your network.
Ok, so what's your thesis project about?
We're looking to make a 25-minute film painting a portrait of Lorong Halus.
Lorong Halus ( click to see address ) is a respectable reserve site parked sneakily in the far-flung corner of Northeast Singapore, between Coney Island and Pasir Ris Park.
Call it a love letter or a warning: our film seeks to both celebrate the ingenuity of Singaporeans and challenge the present indifference to their surroundings. This will be done by drawing parallels between the site’s rich history, biodiversity and the stories of the small communities there who have made the place their own.
Form-wise, we foresee this to be a mix of personal reflection and an essayistic cinema verité-type film, where the filmmakers might tag along with these little communities in their day-to-day to capture what the space means to them and how it has come to be.
Tentatively, presentation-wise, we are looking to have a virtual screening in NUS.
In the long run, we also hope to enter film festivals.
Yeah, but why Lorong Halus?
To be clear, Lorong Halus isn't the only endangered natural space in Singapore ( do check out Lepak's informative stats and breakdowns of various environmental impact studies here ). It's not even the only endangered space full stop.
With its small landmass, Singapore is constantly cycling through redeveloped spaces.
But what makes Lorong Halus unique is that it's undergone redevelopment before, and it's a space that lays testament to what can happen to a space when communities — both human and wildlife included — are consulted and cared for.
Hopefully, it will remain so in the future.
On a more personal level, I've always liked telling stories close to home and heart.
Having seen it grow from when the now-iconic Lorong Halus red bridge hadn't even been constructed yet, it just feels like a pity if all these tiny stories were lost with its reconstruction:
There're fish farms that have been there since the 1970s, and they've been petitioning since 2014 to extend their lease for just a while longer. There's an RC car community that has repurposed an empty field into a whole racing track. Just the other day, a Grab driver told me his humorous story about when he had to fend off a dog from a group of monkeys.
These are just some of the precious tales from this wild land. I hope you'll stick around to hear the story of these people and these places when the full film is out!
What's your progress like thus far? (as of Oct 2021)
As we're still in the early stages (the project is only due next April), for now, we've been focusing mainly on location recces and finding interviewees. We've also completed the administrative process and have confirmed our thesis supervisor!
Here are some photos taken during our location recces:
Gallery of recce photos from Lorong Halus
Last question! How can I support the project?
If you know any lovely friends or family who would love to share with us about their Lorong Halus experience, please feel free to email me (Carman) at carmanchew@u.nus.edu.
Do continue following this thread to learn more about our latest project updates including:
More info on the people and wildlife of Lorong Halus
Behind-the-scenes on shooting progress
When and how you can watch the final film
Follow the development at #TheLorongHalusProject.