I, Polunin

Ivan Polunin Prepares at tuas.jpg

Am looking forward to the documentary, Lost Images, featuring Ivan Polunin’s footage of Singapore which he took of 50’s, 60’s Singapore. It is commissioned by okto channel as part of National Day celebrations. Lost City would have been a more appropriate title, the Singapore that he filmed does not exist any more, which is all the more reason to see it. Lost Images features his footage with many of us commenting on it. It is directed by Peter Lamb. For me Polunin represents the last of the swashbuckling colonial explorers and I had the pleasure of interviewing him for Invisible City. In the still above taken from his footage, he is packing for a trip off Tuas. In his boat, he packs a few durians!

Details: okto channel, Mon 10 Aug, 9.30 pm

In tandem with this documentary NUS Museum features an exhibition of his photos that opens from 8 Aug-22 Nov. A must see as much for the Singapore it reveals as for the way of seeing. He is now in his 80s, frail, I know he will be happy for both these tributes.

Catch a short interview him here (part of trailer for Invisible City)