Kan Lume has 2 obvious tattoos. One on the back of his right palm that reads “Film Maker”. The other, on the back of his left palm, reads “Leader of the Light”. According to Kan, that’s how his name came about.
Sheer determination is perhaps what drove Kan this far. 3 critically acclaimed films in 3 years consecutively.
Kan described himself as a trailblazer. Kan told his story of how he made his first film, “The Art of Flirting” with $300. His second film, a joint collaboration with Loo Zihan, titled “Solos” is one that challenged the boundaries of local cinema. His third film, “Dreams from the Third World” is expected to earn top honours at the 21st Singapore International Film Festival too.
But when we first met Kan - he’s hardly the arty-farty filmmaker you would expect. We met Kan last Thursday (31 Jan 08) for dinner. When I suggested to Kan if ayam penyek at North Bridge Complex was good, he replied, “It’s fine. I’m a simple man.”
Kan dressed simply. His name card is just as simple. He was always calm. In fact, he even appeared to me as a bore. I thought the dinner was going to be a dull and mechanical affair.
That’s, until, we got him talking about his films. That’s when Kan unleashed his energy. He delves into film history, trends, techniques and philosophy. What a ride!
What’s, perhaps, most important from our conversation is not Kan’s films. It’s about his personality. About how he’s relentless in pursuing his goals.
How he always bucks the trend. Truly, Kan’s truly a trailblazer. I had to ask Kan, “So, what’s next for you?”
Kan suggested that he would be leaving the country. He has to do it as the “spirit of the land” has to support one’s dreams and ambitions before one would succeed. He feels that he has to venture overseas to explore and push his own boundaries, and perhaps, find new inspiration for another film.
One thing’s for sure, he will never give up on his ambition and passion for film-making. After all, that’s the whole reason why he tattooed himself. To remind himself that there’s no turning back once he walks down this path.
Trying to describe in words the passion that Kan displays is merely gonna trivialize the whole experience. Come down to InteresThink2 to hear it for yourself.
Kelvin & Rou-Hui
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