Hypnotised! – My review of The Incredible Adventures of Border Crossers

The Incredible Adventures Of Border Crossers (SIFA 2015)

"The Incredible Adventures of Border Crossers tells the stories of “Singaporers”, who are defined by the director Ong Keng Sen as individuals who live in Singapore but are not citizens. Most of the performers are not professional actors and they originate from the USA, Asia and Europe. This 6-hour stylized performance installation brings us through the life passage of “Panorama”, “Feast”, “Travel”, Education”, “Work”, “Everyday Life”, “Wedding”, “Anthem”, “Theatre”, “Funeral” and “Spirituality” as experienced by the 20 real-life border crossers. Multimedia images designed by Brian Gothong Tan effectively demarcate the different segments, with repetitive patterns recurring between segments to allow space for reflection. 

(...)

Designed by Kaffe Matthews, the recurring and repetitive rhythm of the sounds which comprise screaming, cheering, laughing, machinery sounds, sounds from nature, as well as the fusion of folk and contemporary beats provide a sense of cyclic existence which hypnotises me. Repeated multimedia images and movements from performers further enhance this hypnotic effect, drawing me into a state of meditation.

Overall, it is a transcendental-like performance which brings the audience beyond the mundane realm into the subconscious and prehistoric realms in search of freedom and purification. The performance induces in me a feeling that I am going through a supra-mundane experience and embark on a journey of reflections and transformation within the hypnotic space."

- Beverly Yuen, Review of "The Incredible Adventures of Border Crossers" for Centre 42


Full review can be found here:  http://centre42.sg/the-incredible-adventures-of-border-crossers-by-ong-keng-sen-kaffe-matthews-chris-lee-of-asylum-brian-gothong-tan-reckless-ericka-and-francis-ng/

    Photo credit: Kevin Lee