During the last few weeks, reports about thousands of immigrant workers in Singapore contracting the Coronavirus (accounting from close to 80% of the overall infections), particularly because they have been living in extremely crowded dormitories without any kind of healthcare measures during the quarantine, have been the headlines of news all over the world.
As a well-hidden truth (to the outsiders at least ) has come to the fore, “Him”, an awarded short film Gilbert Chan shot a few years ago, seems more timely than ever.
The film revolves around a migrant worker who is riding a bus and calls his family on the phone. First, he speaks with his wife, but when his son, Vadu, comes to the phone, the real drama starts. Vadu asks his father some questions that would demand very hard truths, so the man is forced to lie, in order to avoid saddening the kid. While his words speak lies, the images of the film highlight the truth. He lives in extremely crowded dormitories where the facilities are filthy, he is overworked under extreme heat to the point of fainting, he has to eat the same lousy food every day wherever he can, including the street, he has no friends, and he frequently gets yelled by his higher ups. And all that for almost nothing in terms of pay. The true tragedy, however, is presented through Vadu's final words and the subsequent reaction of the father.
In less than 5 minutes, Gilbert Chan manages to show the whole truth about the awful circumstances immigrant workers in Singapore have to experience, highlighting every aspect of their tragic life in the most eloquent fashion. The disclaimer of the short, which states, “The characters and scenarios in this video are based on actual situations in a Singapore company” is indicatory, with the short actually explaining fully the news reports mentioned in the prologue.
The antithetical juxtaposition of what the father is saying with what the images show is the backbone of the film, with the combination of Loo Hui Ping's realistic cinematography and Samuel Lee's editing implementing this approach in the best fashion. Both the context and the production values of the film reach their apogee during the finale, with the combination of the words of the son, the look and overall reaction of the father, and the way the camera captures all the above through the bus window, resulting in a splendid sequence that communicates the tragedy of reality in the most impactful manner.
“Him” is an excellent short, and the fact that now is timelier than ever, makes its watching a must.
