In the Presence of Giants

These pictures are from the upcoming documentary of Chinatown that i've decided to invest time and effort in. Chinatown is probably one of the last few "authentic" spots in Singapore that has culture and vibe oozing out of its back alley ways.

Some people beg to differ as did Andrew Yip. He feels that Chinatown is but a pale imitation of what it once were. "Everything that you see here is a commercial facade, designed for tourists. Nobody really lives here anymore, its all business."





Interviewing Andrew Yip for the documentary is by stroke of luck and serendipity. The son of master lensman - Yip Cheong Fun, Andrew Yip is an accomplished poet among other achievements. He maintains a small shop in Singapore’s Chinatown's Pagoda Street.

Into his late 70s, Andrew Yip is a semi-wealthy retiree. He used to sit on the board of the URA and now devotes his time to furthering the memory of his late father - Yip Cheong Fun. Surprisingly, he is looked down upon by the lesser part of Singaporeans because of the mere fact that he fronts a shop house business.






Most Singaporeans have no clue that the late Yip Cheong Fun was a revered figure in photography internationally. Yip Cheong Fun was one of Singapore's top pioneer photographers. He was the winner of more than 50 worldwide photography awards in his lifetime, identified as one of ten Honorary Outstanding Photographers of the Century by the Photographic Society of New York in 1980 and awarded the Cultural Medallion for photography in 1984.

Sadly, most locals don't even stop to glance at the photo prints. The shopfront is usually empty and devoid of locals, save for a handful of foreign tourists, who appear more excited than local Singaporeans. Such is the apathy around here.

Andrew, Marc (a friend who was assisting me in shooting the documentary) and I spent a fair amount of time chatting about culture, heritage and politics in Singapore. Way advanced in years and seniority than us both combined, we've learnt a lot just by opening our hearts and mind in honest conversation. In a cookie cutter society like Singapore, where people are encouraged to not have an opinion, Andrew's take on life is cynical and candid rolled into one.

We left his shop falling behind our shooting schedule but i think i speak for us both that we've benefitted in many other ways.

Stay tuned for updates on this documentary.