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SINGAPORE : What knowledge of the Hungry Ghost Festival could a Channel NewsAsia newscaster and an ang moh editor/short film-maker impart to you, a true-blue superstitious Singaporean, born and bred in the thick of our island’s melting pot of cultures and rituals, that you don’t already know?
Quite a lot, apparently.
And, they’ll throw in a couple of “lucky numbers” to help you along the way.
“The English-speaking, white-collar locals all seemed very uninterested when we asked them about what they knew about the Hungry Ghost Festival. It’s like, we all grew up here, so it’s a blind spot.
“‘Yes, people burn stuff during the month, so? Let’s not romanticise it.’ That’s what we got,” said Genevieve Woo, the 38-year-old producer of the new documentary, "A Month of the Hungry Ghost". You may recognise her as the producer and presenter of Channel NewsAsia’s Singapore Tonight.
“To be honest, I was one of the naysayers. I thought I knew a lot, but I actually didn’t when I thought about it,” she admitted. “It was only when I got into the whole month of meeting with the people who practised it that I realised I was so mistaken all my life. I felt that I was given this chance to learn this and I was very humbled by it.”
“You’re going to see (the Hungry Ghost Festival) from a different perspective,” said Tony Kern, the film’s American director. “You’re going to invite the spirits, give the offerings, see the getai backstage, go through the rituals, make your way to the cemetery and get your lucky numbers — all in the comfort of the cinema and in 90 minutes.”
“We’re both going to be buying the lottery after the film opens,” quipped the 39-year-old film-maker. “You guys better look out for the lucky 4D numbers!”
And to think it all started with an American and his inquisitive mind back in July 2005. What began as a conversation with Woo over coffee about local superstitions suddenly became research for a potential feature film and eventually grew into this self-financed documentary. Woo and Kern, who are dating, set up their own film production company Mythopolis Pictures together in 2006.
According to the pair, the unexplainable existed not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes, as well. One supernatural moment happened when they went deep into the jungle with a Tibetan Buddhist congregation to film a ritual known as the “Invitation of the Spirits” on the eve of the first day the Hungry Ghost Festival.
“As we went deeper into the woods, I stayed behind to capture a shot of the whole group walking off. I suddenly became transfixed and mesmerised by the wall of trees behind me,” recalled Kern.
“I felt so good and so peaceful that I actually forgot my camera entirely. I was told only just last week by the Lama who was leading the group that it was only when he looked back for me that he saw that I was completely surrounded by spirits and was just about to be possessed.
“By breaking away from the group, I had left the protective shield that is around to keep everyone safe.”
But perhaps the most shocking thing gleaned out of this whole experience was how helpful Singaporeans turned out to be. “It was very heart-warming that so many of them would go out of their way to help us, giving us contacts and telling us where to film,” said Woo. “Because here we are filming somebody’s religion and beliefs — it’s very private and personal, and what we do can get very intrusive. So, we’re very touched that Singaporeans let us strangers into that part of their lives and to film.”
You’re welcome. Now where are those 4D numbers you promised?
"A Month of Hungry Ghosts" will be released on Aug 7 by Golden Village. - TODAY/ra
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