For the event ‘Suki Chan, In Conversation’, Sally Hossack was joined by Suki Chan- a photographer, filmmaker, and visual artist. Chan recalled her love for light from a very young age when she would look up at the sunset sky and find shapes in clouds. She states that her fascination for light later developed as her interest in photography.
In school, she was fascinated by the passage of time, and once took photos in a cemetery, reading the headstones and wondering about the people’s stories. Her aim has always been to interact with people, connect with them and capture the beauty in the world even in tragic moments.
Some of Chan’s short films were played, all of which enthralled me. The first short film was shot in a Hakka village, in which the flickering lights inside the house told me an almost paranormal story.
In the short film Stillpoint, the end shot of a Syrian village where people would take refuge during the six-day war in the 1960s, portrayed a sense of unease that transfixed me.
The last short film, Fog in my Head, spectacularly captured the reality of Wendy Mitchell, a woman with dementia. The metaphorical imagery and still shots brought out the pathos of the condition vividly.
Chan’s dedication and a natural eye for finding the soul of any setting makes her work compelling. I am glad I attended the event as I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt a lot.
-Anondi Dutta.
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