In a world where lines are growing increasingly blurry, Objectifs explores the topic of border issues with this year’s edition of its Stories That Matter programme. The Singapore premiere of five feature-length documentaries will lead you through the physical, social, psychological, and political borders that define and restrict communities across the world, as well as the possibilities for change.
On the line-up, you’ll find prestigious titles such as the Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro, which takes you on a journey through black history in the US, and the award-winning Taste of Cement that spotlights Syrian construction workers exiled in Beirut.
There’s also Brexitannia, the first documentary about Brexit giving a voice to people on both sides of the divide, and two films that focus on the European refugee crisis: Those Who Jump and Stranger In Paradise.
Besides the screenings, Objectifs is also hosting an exhibition by up-and-coming Burmese photographer Minzayar Oo, whose image of Aung San Suu Kyi made the front page of the International Herald Tribune the day after the country’s historic by-elections resulted in her being elected to parliament.
The 29-year-old’s State of Flux exhibition will display two projects: The Price of Jade, which offers a glimpse into the destructive impact of jade mining on the workers and the environment, and Peace Be With You, a look at the vulnerabilities of the Rohingya community.
If you’re keen on meeting the photographer and finding out more about his work, you can drop by on Mar. 17 for a documentary photography workshop seminar and a slideshow of new documentary photography from Myanmar by Oo.
Stories That Matter: Borders screenings are on from Mar 20-24, 7:30pm at Chapel Gallery, Objectifs. $8/screening. State of Flux exhibition is on from Mar 17-Apr 15 at Lower Gallery, Objectifs. Free.
