October 25, 2019
Each year, Singapore’s major festivals come around and nothing makes us happier than to see NUS students and alumni among the people who are staging (and screening) new works!
This year the Singapore International Film Festival features several new films from NUS alumni and we caught up with Lam Li Shuen (FASS 2019) to learn about her journey from NUS to film directing and unpack her latest film with partner Mark Chua Revolution Launderette (信念のメリーゴーランド).
Less than a year ago you were a History Major at NUS and now you’re a film director… how?
I actually co-founded a production company Emoumie in 2015 and I was making films while still a student. We make alternative films leaning towards surrealist and experimental narratives and these have been screened at the Darwin International Film Festival, Binisaya Film Festival and Freedom Film Festival.
Our debut conceptual docu-fiction feature film, Cannonball, premiered at the Singapore International Film Festival last year and we’re excited that our new feature film, Revolution Launderette (信念のメリーゴーランド), will be premiering at the Festival on November 26 this year!
How did you balance your arts activities with study?
I looked at the modules in the course as a way to open up new perspectives and possibilities in and of ideas – doing so made them an amazing resource in many ways. While it was daunting at first, viewing my studies as a part of my film research and work made balancing the two an easier and more enjoyable proposition!
Has the study/NUS experience influenced your ongoing career? In what way?
My NUS experience has certainly been an influence in my approach to alternative filmmaking.
Something that struck me through participation in the academic and non-academic aspects of my time at NUS was the importance of discernment and developing an understanding towards the human condition and the various expressions of it. Developing this understanding is something that I think has been very crucial to being a better film director both on and off set.
From conversations had, to research done during my time at NUS, the connections and ideas that were sparked were also great sources of inspiration for many a writing period. For example, during my time in NUS I had a class that covered the era of avant-garde works in Japan in the 1960s-70s, so getting to engage with different perspectives around the period was an insightful experience!
What advice do you have for young artists on campus?
I feel you should be curious, ask questions and also try your best to develop your craft alongside your academic pursuits. The best way to do so is to keep on making things, whether it’s making a film, recording an album or putting up an exhibition or a performance. Joining one of the NUS arts groups such as nuSTUDIOS might be the best avenue to finding collaborators in your craft, and strive to create works for an audience beyond the campus! Ideally an audience that you don’t have to mould yourself to, but one you find through the passion of your craft!
What do you wish you would have done differently while at NUS?
I wish I had more time between studies and filmmaking to have sought out opportunities to present my work on campus and to engage with my schoolmates more through my passion. I also wish I’d had more time to pick the brains of the professors in the various faculties as filmmaking necessitates a strangely broad scope of knowledge.
