A world away from the opulence showcased in hit rom-com "Crazy Rich
Asians", a critically acclaimed film noir is shedding light on a less
well-known side of Singapore -- the precarious existence of its migrant
workers.
"A Land Imagined" tells the story of a Chinese labourer who goes missing
while working on a building site, and the efforts of a world-weary
detective to track him down.
His lonely life serves as a window into the world of the approximately
280,000 foreign workers who toil to build the affluent city-state's
glittering skyscrapers and ubiquitous residential high-rises.
The movie debuted in August at the Locarno Festival, where it won the
top prize, and features atmospheric scenes of bleak construction sites,
drab workers' dormitories, and rain-lashed, neon-lit streets.
Singaporean director Yeo Siew Hua said the film aimed to raise awareness
about the lives of migrant labourers who have flocked to the wealthy
city from poorer parts of Asia and are often regarded as "outsiders".
"When we talk about the migrant workforce in Singapore, there is a
certain blindness, especially in mainstream society," Yeo told AFP.
"The film tries to show them as humans, as people with hopes and dreams."
- Contrasting depictions -
It had its debut around the same time as the US release of Hollywood
film "Crazy Rich Asians", which was a box-office hit and won plaudits
for its Asian-majority cast –- but its depiction of the city-state could
not be more different.
The rom-com, about an American-Chinese economics professor and her
Singapore boyfriend, focuses on the ultra-wealthy ethnic Chinese elite
and features well-known sights, such as the impressive waterfront
skyline.
"A Land Imagined" follows the life of Wang Bi Cheng from China, who
works for a land-reclamation company -- about a quarter of Singapore
sits on reclaimed land.
This is a long-running source of controversy as sand is imported for
reclamation from other parts of Asia, a practice that green groups say
causes environmental damage in the supplying countries.
He lives in a shared dormitory next to a busy road and spends his nights
playing computer games in a cybercafe -- befriending the sassy woman
who works there -- and hangs out with a Bangladeshi labourer who is
struggling with debts.
When Wang goes missing, police send in a jaded detective, Lok, who is
shocked when he encounters the migrants' living conditions.
NGOs working with foreign labourers in the city-state of 5.6 million welcomed the film for drawing attention to their lives.
Stephanie Chok, advocacy and communications manager from campaign group
Home, said challenges for foreign labourers range from poor living
conditions to long working hours and unscrupulous employers withholding
wages or underpaying them.
Depictions of workers' lives in the film ring true, such as huge,
self-contained dormitory complexes in less desirable parts of Singapore
and employers holding on to workers' passports to prevent them from
leaving, she said.
- Huge debts -
Wang's Bangladeshi friend, Ajit, is unable to leave Singapore due to
debts -- a common problem for foreign labourers, who often take out
loans for fees to secure work and are unable to pay them back due to low
salaries, according to rights groups.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, however, insists that surveys it has
commissioned show the vast majority of foreign workers are satisfied
with working in the city and consider it "an attractive destination
country".
The ministry has a "comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure that
foreign workers in Singapore are properly managed, and that their
wellbeing is not compromised", a spokesman said in a statement.
It said workers were protected by laws in areas including payment of
salaries, compensation for work injuries and ensuring they have
accommodation of a decent standard.
After its success at Locarno, the film is heading to other festivals,
including Hamburg and Vancouver, and will have a commercial release in
Singapore at the end of the year.
Those fighting for a better lot for foreign labourers praised the effort to draw greater attention to their difficulties.
"When we tell Singaporeans about the issues that the migrant workers
face, they say 'no, no, Singapore is a country where we have very good
laws, and these things cannot be happening'," Ethan Guo, from NGO
Transient Workers Count Too, told AFP.
"I think general awareness of the plight that these migrant workers go through is what we feel is needed more in Singapore."
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