Moving House
by Pin Pin Tan, Northwestern University, DV Cam & Beta SP, 22 min.
In Singapore, the densest country in the world, even cemeteries have to make way for new developments. The Chew family is one of thousands affected by a government order to excavate the remains of their parents. The gravesite is needed for redevelopment into more “useful” land.
In a world governed by greed and the rhetoric of a “higher standard of living”, does the phrase “rest in peace” have a time limit?
In February 2001, Discovery Networks Asia made an open call for ideas for
documentaries about Asia. This was an initiative to commission work from emerging Asian documentary filmmakers. They would be given a rare opportunity to conceive and produce work for the channel.
The open call launched with great fanfare throughout Asia, attracted over 400
pitches. Pin Pin Tan’s documentary idea “Moving House” was one of the six chosen to be funded.
After months ofhardwork, “Moving House” was screened in December 2001
throughout Asia. It became the first documentary commissioned by Discovery Channel to be entirely conceptualized, initiated and directed by a Singaporean.