Meet Gladys, a filmmaker whose films reflect her nature - nuanced, subtle and interspersed with wry humour. Her short films are known for their gentle and poetic quality. Notable works like My Father After Dinner, Still Is Time, and Under the Same Pink Sky, have competed and won awards at various film festivals. Let’s follow her journey into the filmmaking world as we discover her take on the importance of comfort wearing with the nature of her work.
You were awarded Best Directing and Best Editing at the 2020 National Youth Film Awards for film ‘Under the Same Pink Sky’, what inspired you to make this film?
Under the Same Pink Sky was made in dedication to the volunteers at Breast Cancer Foundation. The story was written based on real events encountered by Hedy, a survivor-turned-volunteer. I was inspired by, Hedy and subsequently by the other volunteers whom I met while researching the film. Having had to confront their own mortality and come through it, they have this zest for life and so much wisdom, and that gave me the motivation to write the film and to turn their experiences into a story that is told as honestly and earnestly as we can.
Tell us a little on which is your favorite production film by far, and why?
It’ll have to be a tie between Under the Same Pink Sky and Prophecy.
We encountered a lot of hiccups on the set of Under the Same Pink Sky, but because of the incredible teamwork we managed to overcome them. I think having the right people around really makes all the difference! Prophecy is an experimental film that I made last year, just slightly after we came out of circuit breaker. And I was in headspace of wanting to work in as small a capacity as possible, so even though I collaborated with friends for the writing and soundtrack, I shot the film by myself at home. It was really fun and liberating.
What are you currently working on or what would you like to be working on?
These days I’m taking a slight detour from narrative storytelling and exploring other forms.
I’m working on a short film commissioned by National Gallery Singapore. It is an experimental and dreamy work that would be best experienced on a big screen! It’ll be out this year, so please stay tuned! :)
“Stripes are great on their own. And they’re also good for layering to add dimension to an outfit, so it has a lot of potential to create different looks. I was surprised by the striped t-shirt, because I rarely have the confidence to don stripes. But I ended up really liking it. The T-shirt gives off a fun and relaxed energy so I can see myself wearing more of it, and in other colours too!”
With your busy schedule, do you think versatile wear that is easy to match and the type of materials matter when planning your outfit?
It definitely helps when you don’t have to overthink what to wear in the morning. I like that Muji’s clothes are versatile and easy to match. You can easily put on something and look decent, so it eases the pressure of picking an outfit. Your attention can then go into thinking about other things. It also important to me that the pieces that I own allows me to dress up or down depending on the day’s needs. As a freelancer, there are many times where I need to go from looking presentable in meeting, to heading outside into the hot weather to do location recce. To be able to switch between the different needs is very important.
Is there a MUJI wear that you would like to recommend to the readers?
The walk support water repellent sneakers! When I first wore it, I was really surprised because the padding at the bottom made it really comfortable compared to other canvas shoes. Futhermore, it’s water repellent, that’s a huge plus point because nobody likes getting their feet wet. The shoes also come in different colours so you can pick what suits your style. My picks are the mustard, white and red.
As a filmmaker who needs to spend long hours outdoor, could you share with us the importance of comfort wearing?
On a production, a filmmaker is constantly battling the elements - whether rain or shine, haze or not, so we really need our clothes to work for us and comfort is so, so important. We work with our bodies, and often find ourselves in awkward spaces, so clothes that enable us to move around freely is a must. Muji’s clothes not only satisfy the comfort criteria, it also looks good.
The top that you are wearing is rib material and comes with anti-sweat function, would you think it beneficial for outdoor filming especially under the hot sun!
Anti-sweat function for sure! Especially in Singapore’s weather, whether we’re under the hot sun or experiencing high humidity on a rainy day, no day goes by without us perspiring, so I know a lot of us will definitely appreciate this feature. I don’t just speak for those behind the camera, it’ll make great wardrobe for actors as well, because this makes it one less embarrassing thing to worry about. haha.
Anything you would like to tell the readers?
If you’re going to Muji to shop, do make time to drop by the cafe and try the butter chicken curry rice!