After much contemplation, I think I would use thought-provoking to describe ‘Invisible City’. The interviews, anecdotes and footages in the documentary film gave me a trip down memory lane of old Singapore in the 1950s. However, at the same time the past was shovelled, more questions began to arise. Then, I wondered about the Singapore I know. As a product of our education system, I grew up only learning one clean and neat singular linear history of Singapore. The textbooks told me the “important” things I had to know and their timeline, and I never questioned a thing. The film opened viewers to the unknown or lesser known histories of Singapore.
At first glance, ‘Invisible City’ may seem to be a last attempt to record the work and lives of …show more content…
In fact, the film showed me how subjective history actually is, and I started thinking about all the history and social studies lessons I had back in secondary school. Combined Humanities weren’t my favourite subjects because they were very boring. Therefore, when one of the interviewees in the film said police used tear gas and force against the Chinese students yet reported the Chinese students as being violent, I searched my memory and first wondered what riot this was because I could only vaguely remember hearing about the Maria Hertogh and Hock Lee bus riots. It could be due to the fact that I didn’t pay attention in school, but I thought there was also a chance that this history was written off as not that important so less emphasis was placed on it. I was angry at how the media and sources portrayed the peace loving, quoting what the interviewee said, Chinese student protestors as the big bad and the police righteously fighting against communism when communism was not the intent of the students. The truth was twisted by the media, and as an audience, I was already appalled by the injustice the Chinese students …show more content…
These photos presented in the film will jolt the memories of those involved as it was a significant and painful history for them as it left13 dead and many injured. The photos and interviews with them that are recorded will help in reconstructing the past so that their story will not be lost. However, as he was speaking, the interviewee was worried about the Internal Security Department. The fear that they instilled till now was still vivid in his
At first glance, ‘Invisible City’ may seem to be a last attempt to record the work and lives of …show more content…
In fact, the film showed me how subjective history actually is, and I started thinking about all the history and social studies lessons I had back in secondary school. Combined Humanities weren’t my favourite subjects because they were very boring. Therefore, when one of the interviewees in the film said police used tear gas and force against the Chinese students yet reported the Chinese students as being violent, I searched my memory and first wondered what riot this was because I could only vaguely remember hearing about the Maria Hertogh and Hock Lee bus riots. It could be due to the fact that I didn’t pay attention in school, but I thought there was also a chance that this history was written off as not that important so less emphasis was placed on it. I was angry at how the media and sources portrayed the peace loving, quoting what the interviewee said, Chinese student protestors as the big bad and the police righteously fighting against communism when communism was not the intent of the students. The truth was twisted by the media, and as an audience, I was already appalled by the injustice the Chinese students …show more content…
These photos presented in the film will jolt the memories of those involved as it was a significant and painful history for them as it left13 dead and many injured. The photos and interviews with them that are recorded will help in reconstructing the past so that their story will not be lost. However, as he was speaking, the interviewee was worried about the Internal Security Department. The fear that they instilled till now was still vivid in his