Tadpoles.

• Main Authors: Tan, Ivan., Chin, Jing Yi., Tang, Hui Huan.
• Other Authors: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Visual arts and music::Film
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52588
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Singapore has been raining continuously for the past 14 days, and massive flooding becomes a threat for the first time in forty years. Worrying news reports advise Singaporeans on the eastern coast of the island to stay indoors. Christina and Robert are a young couple trapped within the bedroom walls of their newly bought, top-floor HDB unit. Their fractured relationship is seen through their dry and biting conversation despite the heavy storm outside their window. Robert is the first to try to leave, but the moment he tries to open the bedroom door, ankle-deep water swallows the floor. The couple find themselves on a sinking ship, not knowing what to do. Soon, Robert takes charge and begins to empty pails of water out the window. Christina joins him. Their futility sets in as helpless rags float away and fully filled pails take none of their troubles away. Robert suddenly realizes he has lost his ring and gets into a frenzy looking for it. Christina is moved and tries to help, but Robert reacts harshly. Christina finally cracks, and returns to scooping water off the floor alone. After an awkward hesitation, Robert holds her from behind in a long overdue embrace, his hands over her stomach. A tight slap falls across the face of a young boy with a defiant frown, Shawn. He is drenched and hides a mineral bottle of tadpoles behind him. He faces off against his mother, Sophia, who holds a cane. His father, Vincent, is silent and meek in the corner as he watches the faceoff escalate into a heavy beating of the boy. Sophia empties his precious tadpoles onto the floor. The gaping sobs of Shawn finally jolt his father to stop Sophia. Deeply shocked by Vincent’s intervention, Sophia leaves the room, paralyzed by his words. Vincent tenderly dries Shawn’s hair, and assures his son that the tadpoles are not lost. In the bedroom, Sophia takes out a pack of cigarettes from a locked drawer, betraying the fact that she is a struggling smoking addict. She chokes on the stale smoke. Outside, father and son are down on their knees in the water, feeling the tiles below for the tiny tadpoles. Vincent starts humming as he work. Sophia joins the family in the living room, and they exchange glances of hesitation and hope. The monsoon finally clears up and the rain stops. We see both families in the same lift of a HDB block. The lift descends in silence before it breaks down again.