Citizen Hustler, premiered at the Singapore International Film Festival 2020. It received the The Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-SGIFF Southeast Asian-Documentary (SEA-DOC) Grant 2019.
The forced closure of the Sungei Road flea market in 2017 leaves evicted hawkers like Mr Chan Fook Seng and Madam Seah Siok Thiang, in their 60s and with a variety of ailments, with little recourse. For them, negotiating is imperative to their survival—beyond their informal trade. It is also the way they wend their way through the thicket of bureaucracy to access financial aid, never losing their sense of humour or their sight on bettering their chances in life. Joining them is director Tan Biyun, who wears several hats in the film: a listener in warm interactions, an aide to their efforts in securing financial assistance, while amplifying moments demanding action. In this irreverent collaboration, the film reveals life lived in the margins of affluent Singapore to question the anti-welfarist stance Singapore has adopted and the resulting disparities of lived experience.
contact Tan Biyun, lifeisartislife@yahoo.com