The first Singapore Teochew Festival 2014 - Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza

 In conjunction with the celebration of The Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan's 85th anniversary, the clan has organised the Singapore Teochew Festival which began from 25 September and will run till 5th October. Promotional efforts for this festival began with some very catchy jingles which can be seen on Facebook and YouTube where people from various ages and all genders gather to sing the jingle in the Teochew dialect. Broadly translated, the lyrics mean "Teochew people are one family". However, this does not mean that this event is strictly meant for Teochews but it is also targeted at non-Teochews who would like to find out more about the customs, traditions and unique practices of this dialect group.

One thing very commendable about this festival despite it being the clan's first attempt at organising this was that they had the foresight or were thoughtful enough to build an air-conditioned tent at the Civic Plaza. Given the recent hazy weather which essentially means sweltering hot conditions especially during afternoons or when the venue is jam-packed with people on weekends, you can imagine how much the visitors and crew would appreciate the aircon so that it doesn't get everyone hot and bothered. If you have to jostle with the crowds while trying to look at the exhibits or Teochew-related merchandise on sale, it can be such an uncomfortable experience and will greatly reduce the willingness to spend a longer time at the event venue. The only areas which don't have the benefit of the cooling aircon are the food street and outdoor sitting area for people to have their food which I think is fine because of the use of fire to cook the food and the lingering smell of the food will not dissipate quickly in an air-conditioned room. Alternatively, if you are OK with standing while eating, there is the air-conditioned standing area with tall tables for you to eat what you buy from the food street. I chose the aircon over seating so it was very enjoyable not to be sweating over my food, literally.

Conversely, the biggest issue I had was the use of coupons to purchase items. I can imagine that the organisers had good intentions by implementing such a system so that the vendors won't have to handle the cash at the end of the day and it's less risky to hold on to the coupons rather than cash. However, for the visitors, imagine having to queue at the booths to buy the coupons and having to make sure that what you intend to buy must match the worth of the coupons you are holding on. That means you either have to check out the prices of the items you want to buy before buying the exact amount of coupons or you'll have to buy a fixed amount first and make sure you use up everything before you leave the venue. I took the second option and had a hard time deciding how best to use up the coupons at the food street. Interestingly, when I asked the crew manning the coupon booth if people are required to use coupons for the purchase of more expensive items such as jewellery (SK had a huge booth there selling gold jewellery for Teochew weddings), they confirmed so. Imagine having to buy hundreds of dollars worth of coupon first before you can buy your jewellery! Perhaps they should restrict the use of the coupons to the food street where hygiene is better maintained through the use of coupons rather than cash and the transaction amounts tend to be smaller. Seriously speaking, it's not good for the merchants too if people are put off by the idea of having to get coupons before making their purchases. Maybe cashless transactions would be the way to go for them while coupons are restricted to small items only?

Frankly speaking, even though there were some live demonstrations on Teochew art-related merchandise such as this lantern-making section and another of making clay figurines, I felt that the commercial aspect of this festival seemed to be stronger than that of the cultural aspect. It also didn't help that the portion showcasing the history of Teochews in Singapore and some of the unique practices was restricted to the far right corner of the hall so I didn't feel that it provided enough information especially for those who know close to nothing about the Teochews. There were really not that many exhibits to look at except for the traditional wedding items and those of Teochew migrants who came to Singapore and brought along items which showcased their lives then. Of course, given that this is the very first Teochew festival, sponsor support from the vendors would have mattered a lot so I guess it is normal to see the commercial aspect of the festival being more prominent. Perhaps with more feedback from the visitors and expanding the area allocated to showcasing Teochew culture, the organisers will be able to do a better job in terms of balancing these two areas in future editions of this festival.

Other than traditional items and specialty products offered at the festival, what caught my attention was a series of "modern" items i.e. using Teochew symbolic items such as png kueh, opera masks, motifs in products such as notebooks, T-shirts, canvas bags. This seemed like a move to make the Teochew culture "hip" in the eyes of the youngsters which I think it's good because clan associations tend to have an old-fashioned image. Through this festival and the marketing of such products, it rejuvenates the image of the clan associations and entices the youngsters to delve deeper into their culture through the exposure to such trendy items. Although the initiative may be good, I think there needs to be some work done to make the merchandise more attractive in terms of its quality and price. For example, I was quite interested in getting the notebook with the opera faces on the cover but seeing that there are no lines in the notebook and the binding is on top rather than at the side (didn't really suit my needs), I didn't think it was a good deal to get something like this at the steep price of $16. Perhaps something like this would have been more attractive if it was marketed at say, $10? It would also be nice if the clan association can continue to develop new product lines and make the merchandise more readily available e.g. sell it online so that the general public can still gain access to these items even after the festival ends.

Last but not least, the food street which honestly is not a long street of food stalls, is a pretty small area where I counted 9 stalls selling various signature Teochew food items like braised duck rice, bak kut teh, fishball noodles, or lua and desserts. The first item I got was the braised duck rice set which was a tad expensive at $10. Nonetheless, they gave me a drumstick's worth of meat and added a few more slices so I didn't feel that shortchanged until I came across a famous food blogger's photo of the same dish where he had his duck meat sliced nicely and thickly (compared to mine). Maybe they do treat the media and members of the public slightly differently? Anyway, this braised duck rice is from Jianye Restaurant which I admit I've not been to or never heard before. I liked the duck meat which was tender and flavourful but the sauce was a bit too salty for my liking. On hindsight, I should have told them to go easy on the sauce but given how watery it looked, I thought it wouldn't be that salty and I was so wrong about it.

To end the visit, here was the assortment of steamed snacks I got from the food street. From left to right, the Teochew meat pau, the crystal buns (savoury version on top, sweet version below) and the Teochew siew mai. The meat pau was kinda disappointing because the filing was quite little compared to the thickness of the skin. As for the crystal buns, the sweet version was slightly better although I still miss the ones I had at Ghim Moh long ago. Thankfully, the siew mai was pretty decent and surprisingly didn't taste too different from the Cantonese version which you usually get at dim sum places. I guess depending on individual tastes, your experience at the food street may be a string of hits and misses so I can't say for sure if all the items on sale there are nice or vice versa. However, I think that there are some items which seem a bit overpriced but I guess it can't be helped too at such events.

To sum it up, I think the Teochew Festival was a great success in its pre-launch marketing through the use of the jingles and social media to spread the word. Not only were there many elderly people at the festival, I saw many youngsters and people in my age group too. As such, this succeeded in bringing together people from all walks of life be it they are Teochews or not. However, more can be done on some of the aspects I highlighted above so I look forward to seeing an improved version of this festival in time to come.

Fancy nostalgia with your curry? - Curry Times (Changi Airport Terminal 3)

It seems that many eating places are going big on the nostalgia factor with old-school or retro furnishings, cutlery or traditional foods which are not widely available these days. As things around us change at breakneck speed, it is no wonder that people feel a longing for things in the past.

Curry Times, a new brand under the familiar Old Chang Kee, has a new branch at the airport's terminal 3's level B2 which is easily noticeable as soon as you exit from the MRT station. You can see various old-style items displayed at the counter area and the furniture used here are marble table-tops with wooden chairs which were seen commonly in old-style coffee shops.


As the name suggests, the selling point of this eating place would be different types of curry. Old Chang Kee prides itself as being able to produce the best curry puffs thus it seemed like a natural extension for them to open a curry-themed restaurant. First up was the curry chicken hor fun which actually looked quite presentable in the sense that the ingredients were nicely laid-out rather than scattered in a haphazard manner. Following that was the curry chicken set which you can choose to pair with the conventional choices of rice or bread or a relatively new idea of prata. I've never seen prata being offered together with curry chicken so far but since I'm not a fan of prata, I chose the tried and tested rice during my first visit and bread on a separate occasion. Actually, the curry used in the chicken hor fun and the curry rice is the same so taste-wise, they are largely the same. I like the curry here for the fact that there is no heavy curry powder smell and it is not too spicy for me. Be it whether you pair it with hor fun or rice, I think it tastes equally good. As for the bread which I suppose is a French loaf, I would have preferred it to be lightly toasted on the outside because it seems a bit too soft and mushy when eaten with the curry. A crispy exterior would have made the texture a bit more exciting and different.

Here comes the side dishes and we started off with the potato prawn ball which actually wasn't given any recommendation mark in the menu. Nonetheless, we wanted to try some unusual stuff and this wasn't something readily found elsewhere so we decided to give it a shot. Personally, I think it's not bad with a good balance of potato and the prawn and neither ingredient was too overwhelming or overly heavy in terms of proportion and flavour. However, it would have been nice to have something like a Thai sweet chilli sauce to go with this which I suppose may be better at improving the taste of this dish compared to mayonnaise. Not many people prefer the taste of creamy taste of mayonnaise with fried items but I think kids and adults would like the Thai sweet chilli sauce to go with something which looks as cute as this.

Next was otah which on the surface may seem a bit boring or nothing unusual. The catch here is that the otah was made from salmon which I've never tried or seen before. In addition, the dish looked pretty appealing on the menu so we decided to try it. However, being not so much of a fan of salmon, I think I wasn't very impressed with this. No doubt it tasted alright, the texture of the fish just felt too different from the otah I usually eat. Even if I wasn't told beforehand that this is made from salmon, I think I would still have my reservations over whether salmon is a good choice for this traditional dish. I applaud Curry Times for having the guts to do something different but I would prefer to have a more ordinary type of otah in future if they do revamp their menu.

Last but not least, we chose chendol to round up the meal. Do not assume that the portion is going to be as big as what you see in the menu. We were quite surprised to see such a small bowl when it was served and wondered if we should have ordered more. Anyway, this chendol was fairly decent except for the fact that the coconut milk on top of it had solidified due to some unknown reason. I wasn't sure if this had to do with the freshness of the coconut milk or whether it was meant to be as such but it was kinda shocking to see bits and pieces of it on the top so we ended scrapping it off.

In conclusion, I think Curry Times offers a pretty good deal with nice food and a rather comfortable old school setting to relax in. However, not all of its non-curry dishes scored with me so it remains to be seen if I will be impressed by the other items in the menu or continue to be disappointed during subsequent visits. Even if you are not so much of a curry person, there are other local dishes for your selection so you may wish to give it a shot. I think I'll probably try a non-curry main dish next time to assess how it performs in this area.

Reflections on Singapore Night Festival 2014

The annual Singapore Night Festival returned to the Bras Basah area again this year on 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th August. Ever since this event started, I have been attending this faithfully. Other than the first year (2011) which had wowed me with its outdoor tango performance, the mid-air acrobatics outside the National Museum and various light and art installations, my impression of this festival in subsequent years has been that of "promising too much and delivering not enough". Often, the promotional materials would seem like there's a lot to see but somehow, when you actually see the real thing, it can be rather disappointing.

Note that I did not actually go to all the venues as the festival's activities were stretched over a large area and I admit that I was quite tired after spending hours walking outside in the evening (which was actually still quite hot due to the number of people who also attended this festival). As such, my opinion will be limited to those exhibits I saw and the places I was at.

I attended the Night Festival on 23rd August (Saturday) and began my evening at the Peranakan Museum which I had never been to before. As you can see from the photo, there were many people here when I arrived at 7-plus in the evening and it was even more crowded when I entered the museum. If I remember correctly, Singapore citizens should have free entry to most of the museums these days but it's only on special event days like this when more people get encouraged to pay a visit to the museum. I usually go to the museums only if there is an exhibition which interests me (usually NMS, SAM or ArtScience Museum though). As part of the light installations for the festival, the Peranakan Museum's facade was also lighted up in a variety of colours which made it look rather different from usual.

After entering the museum, it was as if I was transported into the "Little Nyonya" world with all the fascinating exhibits and information about the Peranakans and their lifestyle. Mind you, I did not watch the "Little Nyonya" drama in its entirety but there were some scenes which I saw before so I did have a vague impression on the stuff featured in there. As such, I could identify some of the exhibits like the family ancestral hall, the dining table and kitchen as that of those which appeared in that drama. Frankly speaking, I didn't know much about the Peranakan way of life prior to this visit so it was an eye-opener to see the rich heritage and traditions passed on over generations. Even without a special activity like the Night Festival, I think this place is worth a visit, be it you are a local or tourist.

While I was in the museum, I could already hear some singing and music outside. Although it sounded a bit muffled, I could identify those songs as that of well-known local Malay songs which I heard of or learnt in school. After leaving the museum, I then realised that there was a street concert just opposite the Substation where the performers were singing Malay songs. I suppose the selection of songs was in line with the fact that the Peranakan Museum was located there. It was a very joyous atmosphere there as those drinking at Timbre or had bought drinks from the street vendors and people who had gone to the museum or had not gone in yet converged on the closed roads to sing and dance along with the performers. Be it whether they knew how to sing the songs (there were many foreigners at the concert), I think people were not too bothered about that and were simply enjoying the music. I didn't start watching from the start though but for the short period I was there, I enjoyed watching the performance.

As I made my way to the Armenian Church to see the light installations, I was headed in the wrong direction initially so had to retrace my steps. I was eagerly waiting to see the illuminated wedding dresses made from wires but the disappointing thing was that there were only two designs on display. No doubt that there was an array of colours illuminating the wire dresses and I do think that they look very nice in the dark surroundings of the church, I did wonder if it was worth walking back to the church when I was already reaching the National Museum. To make things worse, the glow-in-the-dark flower display wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. By right, visitors should have been handed torch lights to shine on the flowers before music would be played but I wasn't handed a torch (other people weren't given the torches too even though there was a staff member there) so I failed to appreciate the "beauty" of this exhibit. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience to enter the Armenian Church and see how it looked like.

Next up was walking towards the National Museum and the Divine Faces projection on the trees was the highlight along this path. As some of the trees' crowns had spaces in between, it would have been difficult to see the faces projected onto the trees unless you stood at specific places. It was then when I realised that the best vantage point would be just beside the projectors and that was where you get the best shots of the images. Honestly, I didn't recognise all the faces that were being projected on the trees. However, I do admit that some of the faces looked a bit creepier than the rest because of the lighting and the way the trees' crowns looked. This photo was one of the better shots I got which didn't look so creepy and the face could be seen in its entirety. Personally, I thought that this was one of the highlights of the Night Festival and liked the idea of doing light projections on trees other than the facades of buildings.

There was also a light installation where glow-in-the-dark stones were on the grass fields near to the stairs leading up to Fort Canning. You had to put the stones near the light machines before they would glow and you could place them on the floor to form words or pictures. However, there were too many people picking up the stones so I gave up on this and headed to the National Museum instead.

I had hoped to catch the outdoor harp performance at the National Museum but somehow was too late when I reached there. Actually, there were multiple performances per night but I was spending too much time on the earlier exhibits that I reached the venue just minutes before the next performance was about to start. Unfortunately, that slot didn't feature the outdoor harp performance. If I wanted to stay for the last performance which included the harp performance, it would have been near midnight by the time it started. As I had been walking around for more than 3 hours by then, I was more or less prepared to call it a day. I thought of watching the singing performance since I was already there but it took a while before it started and the music wasn't really my cup of tea so I headed towards SMU Green and the Art Museum for the last few exhibits which I wanted to see.

There were some light installations at SMU which didn't particularly wow me so I headed across the street to see the projection film on SAM's facade. Actually, they've been doing this for the past few years but this year's edition seemed rather week because the colour scheme was rather dull (mostly black and white) and the theme of the images didn't really stand out or was easily understandable. It probably also has to do with the fact that such outdoor facade projections are quite common in recent years that you really need something extraordinary to impress those watching it so I guess that's why I didn't like this at all. I was expecting something more interesting but too bad, this didn't live up to my expectations.

Likewise for the umbrellas installation at SOTA, it felt too bland as there were not many colours illuminating those umbrellas and there didn't seem to have been a special manner in how they were arranged. Maybe it's just me but I thought that the umbrellas were probably good for couples to take pictures with but didn't particularly stand out among the various exhibits during the Night Festival.

Although the evening began on a high note and sort of ended with a whimper, I guess I won't be giving up on the Night Festival just yet unless it truly disappoints me to a great extent. Besides, the satisfaction I got from the exhibits which I liked outweighed those which I didn't so overall, it wasn't a bad experience after all. However, one thing I note is that the crowds were getting bigger with every year (good for the organisers, performers and venues participating in the festival) but it can get a bit difficult to move around or appreciate the performances at ease. For example, there was this performance at SMU Green where so many people gathered around and those at the back could see nothing. It was then that I saw this guy who had a selfie stick recording the performance from the top (ingenious way of using the selfie stick) but too bad, I didn't have one with me to do that. It would have been better if it was performed at an area where more people could watch it at the same time. It was lucky that the day of my visit to the festival where the weather was fine (although rather hot due to the crowds). If I had gone on the following weekend when it was pouring, I doubt that I would have been able to enjoy the festival.

Dainty French dining for an afternoon of relaxation - Antoinette (Mandarin Gallery)

While searching for a place to have lunch before a late afternoon movie, there were not that many choices at Mandarin Gallery as some of the eating places had closed for their afternoon break. Luckily, Antoinette was still open. Since I had wanted to give Antoinette a try previously but never got the chance to do so, this was probably the best opportunity to cross this off my to-try list.

First up, things didn't get off to a good start as the cold drinks selection was limited so I could only order the iced lemon tea. According to the waiter, this was because Antoinette just changed the menu so most of the cold drinks were not available. Conversely, all the hot drinks options were ready for ordering. That was pretty disappointing for a first-time visit so I hope to try other items during my next visit. As for the lemon tea, let's just say that there was nothing spectacular about it nor was it bad in any way.

Next up was the mushroom soup which had small bits of mushroom in it for that added texture. However, the taste was too bland in my opinion and I felt that the soup was not thick enough too. When eaten together with the two slices of baguette, I thought they were OK but just like what happened to the ice lemon tea, the overall verdict I had of this dish was that it's easily replicated elsewhere and needs a bit more work to make it a memorable dish. Perhaps I should try other types of soup next time but I'm wary that I may be disappointed again especially since Antoinette's specialty should be its cakes and desserts rather than soups or main dishes.

The main course I ordered was Ballotine de Poulet a la Grandmere (Grandmother's style stuffed chicken leg). I was expecting a full chicken leg so imagine my surprise to see that it was a boneless chicken leg with stuffing inside. The texture of the chicken leg was smooth and succulent but I have no idea what was in the filling. When eaten together with the mashed potato and sauce, I thought the flavours were quite a match with one another. The biggest disappointment was that the portion was not as substantial as I expected it to be so it wasn't that filling. I do realise that for certain types of cuisine like French, I can't expect too much with regard to its quantity but I'm one who really wants to eat something that's value for money. As such, even if the dish is very delicious, it won't rank too high on my satisfaction index if the portion hardly fills me up. I guess this dish would fit into this category.

Last but not least, dessert was the saving grace in the entire meal, thankfully. The warm chocolate cake with the orange sauce was so rich and comforting that it was blissful just seeing the chocolate ooze out from the moist cake. I can't really remember which flavour the ice-cream was but if my memory serves me well, it should be caramel. It's a case of personal preference though but since the chocolate cake had a strong flavour, eating it with the caramel ice-cream felt like there was a clash of flavours inside my mouth. As such, I would prefer a pairing with an ice-cream flavour which is slightly lighter or more refreshing but of course, I respect the chef's choice because he or she would probably know what is the best combination to bring out the best of the food items.

In conclusion, I think that Antoinette is probably a place more suited for a lazy afternoon when you can afford the time to sit down and chat over tea and desserts. It was no surprise that most of the other customers I saw during my visit were ladies enjoying the desserts. I was in too much of a hurry when I was there and being too hungry probably caused me not to enjoy the visit as much because I have an issue with the portion size. Perhaps I should return on another day when I have the time and focus more on its desserts and cakes which should be where Antoinette's strengths lie.

The beauty and sorrow of Taiwan - "Beyond Beauty" (看见台湾)

I first heard of this documentary film produced by famous Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien from the Taiwanese news channels because it was such a hit there in 2013 for being the most commercially-successful documentary there. The director Chi Po-Lin also received lots of attention for being brave enough (maybe silly in some people's views) for giving up his civil servant job just before he reached retirement and could get his retirement payout for the sake of filming this movie and going into debt (you have to rent helicopters to do the aerial filming). I don't think many people would do that considering the risks involved in making a documentary like this where commercial success is hard to come by.

Lots of people raved about it, not only for the breathtaking scenery captured through aerial photography but also the underlying message behind this movie. This is not a travelogue to entice you to visit Taiwan although the trailer may have you believing otherwise with the nice images but rather as the caption says, it shows you the beauty and sorrow of Taiwan. As such, it is not a pretty picture of the land and sea from start to finish but rather a reality check on what is happening in Taiwan which is also likely to be the same situation or somewhat similar elsewhere in any other country. Frankly speaking, I didn't think this film would ever make it to Singapore so imagine my surprise and joy when I saw that it was showing in Cathay cinemas for a limited time only!

To be perfectly honest, the first part of the movie was rather slow and sleep-inducing. It's true that the breathtaking images of the mountains, land and sea were indeed very beautiful but without any dialogue and the calming BGM (composed by Singaporean composer Ricky Ho), it was quite "boring" to a certain extent. However, when the narration from scriptwriter-writer-author Wu Nien-jen started, the tempo started to pick up and finally got me to sit up and pay attention.

The film can be divided up to four main sections i.e. the introduction which contains the beautiful images of Taiwan as seen from a bird's eye view and highlights things which were not obvious from our usual point of view, the "unnatural" things people resort to that spoil the beauty of the land, pollution issues and the conclusion which explains the dilemma between the needs of humans and the pilfering of natural resources. As I mentioned above, the first part of the film can be seen as a travelogue of sorts with the nice scenery coupled with calming music. However, from the second part onwards, it becomes a reality check.

Some of the things mentioned in the second part include building European-style resorts on mountains which hardly fit the look of the mountainous landscapes, hot-spring hotels built within a small area thus causing the width of rivers to be narrowed drastically, the installation of water pumps to extract underground water for the use of fisheries. The extent of this type of "development" is so appalling not only because of how extensive it is but also how it stands out from its surroundings in such an odd manner. That stretch of pipes from the coast to the fisheries really made me gape. I think this particular line from Wu's narration really summed up this section very well - "People build and install things in areas which aren't suitable for such purposes but when things go wrong, they blame the weather, Nature and the government." There is some truth to an extent because landslides happen when heavy rain comes and brings down the soil from mountain slopes especially if the ground is loose due to the extensive buildup of buildings and lack of vegetation. However, the first culprit that gets fingered at is usually the weather or Nature or the government for failing to protect the property and lives of people who made a conscious choice to be near those places. I'm not saying that these three factors have no impact on the natural disasters that happen but it is also true when you consider it from the other side of the argument that certain places aren't suitable for certain purposes and there is a risk to bear if you choose to do it otherwise. For example, there was this instance quoted that due to the extensive pumping of underground water for the fisheries, it has led to the ground sinking in that area. However, you still don't see any changes made to stop this sinking since the pumping is still going on. Economic concerns are really crucial here and it's not easy to ask people to change.

The third part talks about the ugly face of pollution and how people choose to turn a blind eye to its effects even though they can see rivers turning brown, black or even red due to the discharge of waste water from factories. That scene of the Yin-Yang sea where the seawater near the coast is black and the seawater further out is a pristine blue was really an eyeopener. Air pollution from power generators and the harmful environmental effects of stripping mountains bare for the sake of the cement industry serve as real-life examples of how industralisation and modernisation have affected the environment. I like it that the film doesn't really try to preach from the high moral ground but delivers the facts directly to the audience so that they can see from themselves that all this talk about pollution is not just something far from their own lives but something very real that's happening near them.

Last but not least, the conclusion actually tries to address the dilemma between humans' needs and the taking of resources without any concerns. Part two and three may be seen as largely critical of humans' actions but part four tries to explain the problem faced. For example, the lack of flat land for housing has led to more houses being built on slopes and hills. If given a chance, people would probably not have resorted to this but when you see how precariously these houses are perched on the slopes and can be easily swept away by landslides (if that really happens), the message in the narration becomes hauntingly true - "people are more concerned with the price of their house per square meter rather than whether their houses will still stand safely tomorrow". The film doesn't actually try to tell you what you should do but rather brings across the message that we are mere migrants of Earth and asks you to consider if you are taking up more resources than what you actually need. I guess that's a good question we should be asking ourselves and start by doing small things to avoid hurting the environment even more.

One point that particularly impressed me about this film was the use of specific and real-life examples in bringing its points across. Particularly, I think the in-depth explanation about the cement industry was a very good one. Knowing how lucrative the industry can be and the potential backlash the crew may face by singling the industry out, it takes a lot of courage to do that. Frankly speaking, I do not think that those who are really the key players in hurting the environment would change as a result of this documentary. However, the film would have helped to raise awareness among the general public and let them be aware of what's happening in their surroundings. Maybe the effects of this film will only be seen in many years to come but at least it's a positive step in the right direction.

If you are interested to watch this film in Singapore, it will be showing in Cathay cinemas until 3 September.