Let’s begin with the background to this blog entry. Me and my friend were animatedly discussing over MSN the arts scene in Europe. Apparently, Germans love their Opera and seek it often as means of entertainment. Theatre is a staple in Britian, with performances occuring almost everyday everywhere. However, to find a decent movie theatre is few and far between. On the contrary, in Singapore, theatres overwhelm traditional performing spaces almost 10:1.
Going by these observations, a certain theory popped in my head *pop* Perhaps the higher the cine-density of a particular, the lower its cultural status? By cultural status, I mean in terms of the development of national cultural identity. Think about it. The countries with less cinemas per 1000 (on a national, not city-level) are the places that have had time & circumstance to develop a stable identity. Not to mention an economy and locale that helps perpetuate and sustain cultures. This particularly applies to countries like Britain, Belgium & Australia; where the performing arts (opera, theatre) have flourished since God knows when.
Places like China & America however, are a little tricky to explain. While one has had the history of thousands of years wiped out by one tea-drinking comrade, the other regards the art of movies as part of their culture. China reverts to the movies as a cheap efficient way to reach the masses and since then, movies have been the preferred visual mode of the social critics/commentators (Ha, guess that backfired) As for Americans, well, I don’t think they were ever a cultured lot, they just talk alot*aheam* One must admit however, that movies are inextricably part of American culture, as history has so effectively shown. Japan and India also report high viewerships at movie theatres, while never once losing its distinct cultures.
The fact that these countries contradict the basis of my filmsy theory effectively renders my theory useless. Then I realise that I’ve been going about it the wrong way; film and theatre are not mutually exclusive. They are merely just products/symptoms of a culture, in which the culture manifests itself. And that cultures exist regardless of art forms….
Which then makes me realise that Singapore has been going about it the wrong way. The government has always been trying to develop a national culture by supporting the arts, encouraging people to take up performing and visual arts. Film competitions, art bursaries etc. All in an attempt to create a bustling cultural landscape that will draw investors into Singapore and boost the economy. Except they are trying to tackle the symptom rather then deal with the real issue - that Singapore is culturally hollow, well not entirely, but you know what I mean. I suppose because we are an artificial nation, built out of rules, our insides are somewhat lacking.
Its as though we built a steel structure of a building and started putting in furniture before the concrete was poured in. (Extreme analogy, but just go along with it) And pouring in money to buy wonderful furniture is nothing if they aint no floor to put it on. Point is, I wish that they wont force things. We cant be a Hollywood or a West End in one night. If you want to be a world-reowned arts hub, you have to give people space to grow and express. And you have to do it for the right reasons, or else it just becomes illusion of culture built by capitalism. Which does nothing for the heart of the nation.
So I suppose what I wanted to say was ( and have always stood by) - quit forcing us to be cultural. We appreciate the funding but seriously its more then just that. Its about time, policy and conditions. A national culture does exist and it will take shape over the course of our growth as a nation. There is no point faking it. Don’t make us catch up to the Americans or the British expecting some sort of cultural revelation, because it wont work. OK?! Let us breathe and see how wonderfully interesting we can be.
Sorry - in one of those mind boggling moods. Mm. Dont expect you to understand but had to consolidate my thoughts somewhere. Besides, Im never coherent*grin*
