Lundberg, Anita, and Peer, Jasmin (2020) Singapore 'A Land Imagined': rising seas, land reclamation and the tropical film-noir city. eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 19 (2). pp. 201-227.

Preview

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (357kB) | Preview

Abstract

Sea level rise due to climate change is predicted to be higher in the Tropics. As a low-lying, highly urbanised island near the equator, Singapore is taking an active response to this problem, including through large land reclamation projects. Incorporating both environmental and aesthetic elements, these projects also serve to bolster Singapore's reputation as a shining example of a global city, a leading arts centre in Southeast Asia, and an economic hub to the world. This paper draws attention to urban development through an ethnographic reading of Yeo Siew Hua’s film A Land Imagined. A Singaporean tropical-noir mystery thriller, the film follows the rhizomatic path of a police investigator and his partner as they attempt to solve the disappearance of two foreign labourers. Interwoven within the film is a critique of Singapore's treatment of migrant workers as it constructs the imaginary of the 'Singapore Dream'.

Item ID:	65397
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1448-2940
Keywords:	Singapore City, Tropical Imaginary, Rhizomatics, Climate Change, Film Ethnography, Land Reclamation, Rising Seas, Migrant Labour
Related URLs:	https://journals.jcu.edu.au/etropic/arti...
Copyright Information:	Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 free to download, save and reproduce.
Date Deposited:	10 Feb 2021 23:09
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4401 Anthropology > 440107 Social and cultural anthropology @ 100%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9599 Other Cultural Understanding > 959999 Cultural Understanding not elsewhere classified @ 50% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960301 Climate Change Adaptation Measures @ 50%
Downloads:	Total: 208 Last 12 Months: 31
	More Statistics