{"id":385967,"date":"2023-07-22T06:00:22","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T22:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citynomads.com\/?p=385967"},"modified":"2024-07-25T14:29:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T06:29:59","slug":"cn-culture-vault-kathleen-bu-on-her-honest-take-on-filmmaking-making-the-audience-feel-something","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citynomads.com\/cn-culture-vault-kathleen-bu-on-her-honest-take-on-filmmaking-making-the-audience-feel-something\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture Vault: Kathleen Bu on Her Honest Take On Filmmaking & Making The Audience Feel Something"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lights, camera, action! Beyond Singapore\u2019s bustling entertainment<\/a> and events<\/a> scene lies a burgeoning film industry that is yearning to captivate the hearts of both locals and international film buffs. Just like any other industry in Singapore, it\u2019s no doubt that our film industry is rather small<\/a>. Yet in recent years, it has also punched<\/a> above its weight with a number of critically acclaimed films like \u2018Ilo Ilo\u2019, and \u2018Apprentice\u2019, encouraging many budding filmmakers in the nation to pursue their dreams and put Singapore\u2019s name on the creative realm of filmmaking.<\/p>\n

One such filmmaker is Kathleen Bu<\/a><\/strong>, participant of NYFA Film Facilitation Programme 2021 Edition<\/strong> and National Youth Film Awards 2020<\/strong> Winner of \u2013 Best Director (Student Category); Best Live Action (Student Category); and Best Editing (Student Category).<\/p>\n

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Having first developed the knack for storytelling in her schooling years, Kathleen Bu got her start in theatre<\/a> through her drama teacher who taught her the complexity of a line or even the power of silence. Now, the filmmaker and scriptwriter has risen as a leading voice in Singapore\u2019s filmmaking industry with her works making their debut in major film festivals around the work including\u00a0Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2022<\/a>,\u00a0Final Girls Berlin Film Festival 2023<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Minikino Film Week 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One of Kathleen’s most remarkable achievements came with her short film ‘Lady E’s Wedding Revenge Plan’<\/strong>,\u00a0inspired by her relationship with her elder sister and her own \u2018horrendous, heart-wrenching experience of being a teenager\u2019. An honest endeavour into a teenager\u2019s heart, the narrative of the story came about when the filmmaker revisited her old diaries in search for a character that said a lot in her head, but not much out loud. To her, it was almost a therapeutic analysing of all the complex emotions she had been holding inside of her since the age of 15. To this day, Kathleen believes it is the most honest film she\u2019s ever made. No wonder it has garnered several accolades at *SCAPE’s National Youth Film Awards in 2020.<\/p>\n

\"Kathleen
‘Lady E’s Wedding Revenge Plan’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe voice over lines were largely lifted from my own personal diary, and the emotions Lady E felt were also felt by me at one point or another. I knew that this was the selling point of my film, and it taught me an important lesson in filmmaking \u2013 If you are honest with yourself, people will see your honesty and they will see your heart for what it is.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But it\u2019s not always smooth sailing. In the first few years of working in the industry, it was extremely difficult for Kathleen to be confident of her decisions with self-doubt claiming another youngling into its deadly grasp. But her passion and love for filmmaking came out stronger, allowing her to fight for what\u2019s best for her films and gain confidence in her decisions. Though she may still have her doubtful moments, Kathleen now takes them as a lesson that most of the time, growth cannot be perceived from such a close distance.<\/p>\n

\"Kathleen
‘You Will See’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since her big win at NYFA 2020, *SCAPE continued to invest in and support Kathleen with the Film Facilitation Programme (FFP) to produce her first horror short film \u2018You Will See<\/strong>\u2019. Under the mentorship of award-winning Malaysian filmmaker, Bradley Liew, Kathleen\u2019s recent success made it all the way to Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in 2022 marking a significant milestone in her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrganisations like *SCAPE really invests in youth filmmakers and give us the opportunities to showcase our work. This is important because we must plant the seed of belief in people from a young age so we don\u2019t lose out on so much pure and genuine talent that can push our country into new horizons.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For aspiring filmmakers embarking on their creative journey, Kathleen’s advice is simple\u2014never let the dread of filmmaking overshadow the joy of it. Whilst for the rest of society, she hopes for us to give local films a try, and teach children to appreciate arts from a young age. \u201cMy first love was Asian Cinema! Our stories have a certain juxtaposition between complexity and simplicity in them.\u201d If you need some recommendations to get started, here are some of Kathleen\u2019s picks:<\/p>\n