Skin - Movie premiere

One look at Sandra Laing and you would have thought she's a black lady. Amazingly, her immediate family members are all white. Apparently, she must have had an ancestor whose DNA laid dormant for generations, and chose to appear only in Laing.

Sandra with her mother (Source: Mail Online)

This anomaly morphed into a huge tragedy for Laing was living in the apartheid-era of South Africa. Her family had to fight against discrimination in the neighbourhood because of that. Ironically, her parents were members of the Nationalist Party and supported the apartheid regime.

Only found about Laing when Karen emailed about the movie SKIN, which was based on Laing's story.







Karen, who is from the design company Pearlfisher and sits on FilmAid board, dashed out some short answers:

1. What do you like most about the film?

it's a true story

2. What do you do at FilmAid?

contribute to raising funds through all sorts of events (film-related) and contribute to making a difference in the refugee camps

3. Any memorable quote from the film?

need to see it again but think it was 'you made your choice' when her dad had abandoned her and was trying to reconcile

4. What other NGOs/ NPOs are you involved in?

GOSH

5. What other exciting FilmAid projects should we look out for?

burmese VJ at BAFTA 14 July and screening in September 15 at BAFTA

The film premieres 2 July at Odeon West End, and features a Q&A session with the director and cast.

The Design Society

Just found an email from Asylum in the recesses of my inbox: The Design Society: Join us.

Interesting. Chris and the other big boys in design have set up The Design Society to raise the standard of design in Singapore, and to expand its international reach.

Intrigued by one line from their list of objectives: we believe sufficient content can be amassed to start a proper Museum of Modern Design.

Anyone knows what's going on?


- Z.

Record number of Singapore designs at Milan International Furniture Show

Thanks to a press release from our diligent Design Singapore counterparts, we got news of:

Biggest showing of Singapore design presentations ever

Salone Internazionale del Mobile (Milan International Furniture Show)
16 to 21 April 2008

Part of the largest-ever Singapore contingent at the show, nine designers, and five design-led companies will be supported by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts’ DesignSingapore Overseas Promotion Partnership Programme (OPPP).

Who's who?
Recipients of the DesignSingapore Scholarship in 2005, Hans Tan and Hunn Wai have since completed their studies at Design Academy Eindhoven. Hans’ works will be showcased at STILL, one of the most highly anticipated exhibitions in Milan; while Hunn’s pieces have been selected for inclusion in the Design Factory Brainport Milano 2008.

Singapore-based product designers Jason Ong, Jarrod Lim, Gabriel Tan, Wendy Chua, P.C. Ee, Brian Law and Tan Sixiu will also be presenting cross-collaborative designs resulting from their partnership with fashion designers as part of the DesignSingapore Studios project, Blueprint 2008.

Presentation of works by Singapore design companies – Air Division, Getz Brothers, The Life Shop, Star Furniture Industries and Koda Ltd under the Singapore Mozaic brand

The Singapore presentations will take place at three different locations: Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2008 for trade visitors, the youth-oriented Salone Satellite 2008 and the Zona Tortona which is the most popular location for individual shows.

Voonwong&bensonsaw who will be collaborating with British company, Decode. Their presentation at the Design+ exhibition at via Tortona 20 will feature three new products: the Ribbon coatstand, Slicebox table and a new barstool named Tripod.

- Zi Wong
Design and travel journalist
zijia.weebly.com