NTU students film conservation efforts in China

Sharing environmental concerns
Business Times 12 May 08;

A group of NTU film students braved weather and terrain to shoot conservation efforts, writes IAN POH

FOR many Singapore-born male undergraduates, encounters with the jungle wild are largely centred around basic military training experiences during national service. But for Kenny Heng, 25, this was not a singular experience - he witnessed first-hand how activities in rural China grinds to a screeching halt once sunset comes. Such is the lifestyle there, where the typical resident is a regular farmer living an ascetic life.

'The simplicity of life and the lack of regular commodities like electricity and water made us realise how lucky we were, and never to take what we have for granted,' said the second year student at Nanyang Technological University's School of Art, Design and Media (ADM).

'Solar energy was limited and generators had to be switched off at night to conserve power, but that is also the time where temperatures drop to -10 to -20 degrees Celsius. We found ourselves battling the cold and all of us eventually fell victim to flu, fever and diarrhoea at one point or another. Bathing and flushing were also very much a challenge as the water in the pipes kept freezing up.'

He and five faculty mates aged between 21 and 27 were on a filmmaking expedition to China last year from Dec 11-20 to create two documentaries for the China Exploration and Research Society (CERS). Organised by NTU's research hub Digital Creative Centre together with Canon, Wildlife Asia, and CERS, the expedition aimed to raise public support and create awareness of conservation efforts in China.

Saving two rare species

The group was led by Singapore-based cinematographer Chris Dickinson - who had been a cameraman on the Amazing Race Asia series - to interview CERS president, well-known Chinese conservationist and photojournalist Wong How Man on location and document his efforts to save two rare species: Tibetan mastiffs and black necked cranes. The students' travel expenses, equipment and technical assistance needs were provided for by Canon Singapore, NTU and Mr Dickinson respectively.

It was a case study worth pursuing. Mr Wong, honoured by Time magazine in 2002 as China's 'most accomplished living explorer', has long been on a mission to record and preserve endangered species and minority cultures in the more remote regions of China. He counts discovering a new source of the Yangtze River among his achievements.

Mr Wong hosted the students by providing his research lodges as accommodation for their stay. During the nine-day expedition, they visited and filmed the Zhongdian bird sanctuary and travelled four hours up into the Himalayas to film the mastiffs breeding.

The students found the trip a good learning experience relevant to their degree course. Kenny, in particular, felt that the live case study was an edifying process to go through. It has further entrenched his love for filmmaking and was good exposure to the world of conservation filmmaking.

'It was an enticing and interesting experience. As makers of these films, we see ourselves as being vested with the responsibility of producing a film that can make a difference to the survival of these beautiful animals,' he said.

He related a host of challenges faced and overcame. For one, they had to start production almost immediately upon arrival at CERS's headquarters in Shangri-la. It became a struggle through the first few shots as they had still not acclimatised themselves completely to the high altitudes. They also had to trek long distances over the vast Tibetan plateau while lugging their gear around.

Scott Hessels, the lecturer-in-charge who accompanied the group, was impressed by the team's energy.

'Suddenly, a 22-year-old who is interested in environmental concerns has the expertise in filmmaking to capture that story beautifully and share it with the world,' he said. 'That's a lot of power.

'With that power comes the responsibility to tell the story accurately and fairly, and this trip was an ideal learning experience for this.'

The two documentaries were shown at the ADM from April 25-29. After that, they went on permanent showcase at CERS research centres and will hopefully educate locals and visitors alike about the need for conservation in regard to the two rare species.

Prof Hessels revealed that there are further plans to work together with Mr Wong. Such outlandish projects as reintroducing the Burmese cat back into Myanmar; locating lost World War II airplanes in the Himalayas; marketing yak cheese to rich Westerners; and uncovering lost cities on the Silk Road are in the pipeline for implementation.

Kenny said that he sees paths unfolding as a result of the expedition. 'Hopefully, this inaugural expedition will open the doors to more opportunities, and we can be involved in more such projects. Personally, the trip has also opened my eyes and mind to the bigger picture,' he said.

'We've definitely benefited as film students. It's been exciting and we got a great chance to hone our skills as filmmakers. The idea of travelling up to remote parts of China and being up close and personal to nature was definitely an appealing one and has become an experience that we will never forget.'