Film

Edited by Benita Lee

Photo finish After Cicely directors Jean Loo and (inset) Yang Huiwen at the ASHIC Foundation

Film

Benita Lee talks to the female filmmakers of After Cicely, a new documentary set to be released online on International Womens Day this month which features five fearless Asian women who care for the dying

A lesson before dying

eath isnt the easiest topic to talk about, but two young Singaporean women Jean Qingwen Loo and Yang Huiwen, the duo behind creative agency Logue took the challenge in their stride, directing and producing a short film (accompanied by five photo documentaries) in collaboration with the philanthropic Lien Foundation. Featuring five altruistic women fiercely passionate about the relatively new issue of palliative care, which is a focus on alleviating and preventing patients pain and suffering, the poignant online documentary runs for less than half an hour and dedicates itself to showcasing their courageous spirits, gruelling struggles and rewarding triumphs. In a nutshell, the film focuses on two doctors, a nurse, a nun and a mother (from Mongolia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Bangladesh, respectively), all of whom have either realised the need for palliative care in their countries or emerged from heart-wrenching personal tragedies to soldier on through setbacks and help the sick die a good death. If youre wondering about the title, After Cicely, its actually a tribute to British nurse

and social worker Cicely Saunders, who pioneered the modern hospice and kick-started a worldwide palliative care movement to improve the treatment of patients with progressive illnesses and help them to leave with dignity and peace of mind. Take Salma Choudhury, the Bangladeshi protagonist whos now in her 50s, for example. She lost her three-year-old son Ashiq about two decades ago to a rare form of cancer and sunk into a deep depression, only to be pulled out by her husband, who pushed her toward charity work. Spurred by a desire to ease the plight of cancer-stricken children and their loved ones, she founded the ASHIC (A Shelter for Helpless Ill Children) Foundation in Bangladesh to provide a palliative care unit, a hospital kids play centre and a shelter for rural families who have journeyed for hours on end to the city of Dhaka for

To witness somebody die is actually an invitation its true, it was a very humbling privilege for us

chemotherapy treatment. Its tough work; we have to guide the parents, because they dont know whats happening. But when the children are getting comfort and feeling happy, thats the main thing we want, Choudhury describes. For co-directors Loo and Yang, who flew to the respective countries to follow each woman going about her typical routine for a week, the documentary highlights the idea of woman power. There are a lot of women out there doing good work, and because of the power of their emotional involvement, it really propels you to give it all for causes you believe in, Loo explains. These women may not have the best medical facilities available, but they have so much motivation and desire to help others die better. Its a story that deserves to be told. The subject matter may seem heavy and intimidating, but the directors remain undaunted, believing in the importance of educating audiences about injecting the warmth of life into death (or the process of dying). Its very personal, and it wont be easy for anyone on the street to relate to it, Loo says. Its not a subject you can force people to talk about; it has to be subtle. We used these inspirational stories to offer an avenue for people to gain

understanding. Yang adds that a quote from Sister Geraldine the Singaporean nun featured in the film stuck with her, as they attempted to find a balance between capturing essential moments on camera and exercising discretion to allow patients their privacy. She said to witness somebody die is actually an invitation, and I felt that was true it was a very humbling privilege for us. The emotional rollercoaster ride that they experienced during filming has definitely struck a chord in both directors, making the issue more personal and close to their hearts. Our emotions were very in tune to what we were going through, Yang explains. It definitely makes you value and appreciate life more. Even though they faced the challenge of unpredictability, being unable to control what happened, both believe their role as curious storytellers will offer meaningful stories to the public and spark off discussions. In particular, Loo who confesses she never had a chance to say goodbye to her father before his passing acknowledges that she learnt a lot after seeing patients settle their emotional debts and unfinished business. We were immersed in the heart of a world that wasnt ours, and I cherish that experience. I realised that in order to die well, you must live well. Its not something you can catch up on in the last minute, she describes. Life is finite, so we need to treasure people for who they are and live such that we leave a personal legacy behind. Loo also expresses their passion for life and touches on their philosophy of wander and wonder. Wander in the sense of travelling and discovering, and wonder as in to think about things, she elaborates. Its the idea that there are different facades of society, from humanitarian work to social issues to the environment; theyre all various aspects of life that we want to expose ourselves to as we take on more projects. Media is a great way to do so, which is why we do such work. With this heartfelt film, they hope to motivate people to live life to the fullest and talk about issues of death openly. The beautiful thing about a documentary is that its real nothing is crafted, Loo says. By displaying these encouraging true stories, they provide an outlet for those carrying the weighty responsibility of caring for ill-stricken loved ones to express themselves and realise that theyre not alone. Sometimes we get caught up in the daily grind, and its hard to look at the big picture, but we want this to be a gentle reminder of whats really important in life, she continues. That can be very personal, and we dont want to tell them how to feel but in their heart of hearts, they will know what it is.
After Cicely is viewable online at www.aftercicely.com from 8 Mar.

56 Time Out Singapore March 2013

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