A creative dream lost and found

Disappearance of original footage of film-maker Sandi Tan's Shirkers helped her to continue pursuing the arts

The film reels for Shirkers (above) by film-maker Sandi Tan (below left, with Georges Cardona) were found a few years ago.
The film reels for Shirkers (above) by film-maker Sandi Tan with Georges Cardona were found a few years ago. PHOTOS: NETFLIX
The film reels for Shirkers (above) by film-maker Sandi Tan (below left, with Georges Cardona) were found a few years ago.
The film reels for Shirkers by film-maker Sandi Tan (above left, with Georges Cardona) were found a few years ago. PHOTOS: NETFLIX
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After overseas screenings of Sandi Tan's documentary, Shirkers, women in the audience spoke to the Singaporean film-maker "weeping and vibrating with rage", she says.

The anger was not directed at Tan, but at the man who, in a literal sense, stole her teenage dream of making a movie.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 25, 2018, with the headline A creative dream lost and found. Subscribe