Keep The Faith - A Film/Photo project on how Faith navigated The Pandemic in Singapore

 

Photographer’s statement

The pandemic has struck a chord for me during this turbulent times. With the world in lockdown and a virus raging on, it made me think about how the various religions in Singapore, which plays a big role in the country’s identity and provided a deep sense of belonging for many people in Singapore, get by.

With this photo and film series, we hope to show how the different religions carry on, despite the covid-19 pandemic disrupting many of its rituals, ceremonies and activities. 

Religions have gone through everything from catastrophic natural disasters, to war and famine. Rarely was there a need to adjust its activities enduring through even the most difficult challenges. But, it has not met a global epidemic on such a scale, surpassing that of the black death in the middle ages.

The inspiration for the format and composition is influenced in part by films and art, especially renaissance art, how they are presented in a more linear fashion, but it allows for the viewer to pick out the little details in each areas of a print. I wanted to explore how, in Singapore’s unique place of having the different religions, coexist and deal with such an issue through the medium of photography.

Not only does it explores the difficulties the various religions had to overcome, but also the challenges faced by the film and production crew during the filming itself.


The project was made possible with the help of the NGO, Whitehatters, as well as the production company, Madfin, and supported by MCCY.

You may watch the short film, here:
https://vimeo.com/717885613

A short series exploring how faith communities (Christianity, Islam, Hindu, and Buddhism) have had to ‘innovate’ their religious practices in response to the pandemic with relations to the Circle of Life (Birth, Youth, Marriage, and Death), forming a cohesive episodic loop through the power of language and human connections.

The aim is to profile religious followers as they grapple to adapt their religious rituals. To serve as a record, depicting the life of certain people and allow us insight into the complexities of human nature

Executive Producer
SHAHRANY HASSAN

Directed by
ZACHARY YAP

Produced by
JIAYING SIM
KHIDHIR KASSIM

Story by
ZACHARY YAP
JIAYING SIM
KHIDHIR KASSIM

Written by
CHENG GUO
ZACHARY YAP

Director of Photography
RACHEL LIEW

Production Designer
HAFEZ RAIHAN

Film Editor
SULAIMI ISMAIL

Casting
CHO JUN MING

supported by
MCCY HARMONY FUND

Caption: This picture frames the beginning of life, between motherhood and birth, between light and dark, between the already baptised mother and the soon-to-be baptised child.

The photo depicts a young mother carrying her child, literally and figuratively, through the pandemic. She has had to adapt to the changes in both her own life as a young mother, and as someone of the Catholic faith.

With the pandemic, many centuries old rituals in various religions have to make quick changes to adhere to the Safety Management Measures set out by the multi-ministry taskforce, deeply affecting the way worshippers practise their religion.

Caption: A mother holds her child during a baptism ceremony in the midst of the covid-19 Pandemic. With church mass and activities closed, such intimate rites have to be adjusted to fit in with the safe distancing measures set out by the multi-ministry task force. 

Rituals such as baptism had to have changes made to facilitate the safety management measures. What was once a festive occasion surrounded by love ones, has to now be done individually, with masks and social distancing involved, making it a more private occasion.

Caption: A still shot from the short film Keep the Faith, worshippers in this particular mosque are to pray on allocated white mats, with their own prayer mats on top. 

Due to the pandemic, the individual prayer zone or area has to be demarcated with tape marking to make sure the congregants adhere to safety management measures. They are also required to bring their own individual prayer mats and pray with masks on.

Prior to the Pandemic, congregants could use prayer mats from the mosque itself, without social distancing and mask during prayers.

Caption: A madrasah student in prayer before reading his Quran, masked up, prayer mat on, in segregated areas of the mosque.

Prior to the Pandemic, congregants could use prayer mats from the mosque itself, without social distancing and mask during prayers.

Caption: As the lowered restrictions in Covid-19 measures slowly allowed devotees to come back, many still remain wary about the possibility of other variants impacting their trips to the temple. However, the gradual resumption has allowed devotees to find some feeling of comfort to attend rituals physically.

Before the Pandemic, devotees had the ability to attend rituals without the need for masks or social distancing, with religious music being played freely. With the measures in placed, music were limited or stopped, and devotees made to observe safe distancing measures in their designated areas.

Caption: Celebrations during a Indian wedding, with the relaxation of some safety management measures, close family members are able to celebrate a couple’s most important occasion with some semblance of normality.

Prior to the Pandemic, weddings were joyous occasions that had no limits on participants or social distancing observed as well as masks being worn during the wedding itself. Here, some restrictions were relaxed to allow close friends and families to celebrate the occasion. 

Caption: In the film, the mother of the lead character had recently passed away, and the family has to go through the process of grieving. During the early period of the pandemic, funerals have had to reduce their sizes to only allow immediate family members to pay their final wishes to the deceased. The image is inspired by the composition elements found in renaissance paintings, and I felt that it depicts the subjects better in a more linear approach.

Prior to the Pandemic, funerals were sombre occasions that had no limits on individual paying respects or social distancing observed during the gatherings or last rites. Friends and families could embrace one another without masks being worn as well as to have food together at the tables.

Caption: A buddhist devotee seats alone in the Hall Of No Form at Kong Meng San Monastery during the QingMing festival period. With the pandemic, many devotees prefer to avoid crowded situations, leaving many slots empty during the pandemic.

Prior to the Pandemic, there were no limits on how many devotees are allowed into the temples or prayer halls, but to facilitate the safety management measures, each individual devotee is require to book a time slot for the session that they would like to go for, to make sure that there is no crowding inside the prayer halls.

Caption: Sunday morning mass during the pandemic at the Church of the Holy Spirit on Thomson Road. While it was challenging, worshippers still continue their devotion.

The worshippers during their sunday mass have to socially distance themselves to prevent the spread of Covid-19 indoors. They must remain masked at all times, and are limited to five individuals per pew. 

Prior to the Pandemic, there was no limit on individuals in each pew, and masks and social distancing was not required.

Caption: A worshipper prays during the sunday mass. With Covid restrictions, sunday masses require masks, social distancing with a maximum of 5 worshipper per pew.

The worshippers during their sunday mass has to socially distance themselves to prevent the spread of Covid-19 indoors. They must remain masked at all times, and are limited to five individuals per pew. 
Prior to the Pandemic, there was no limit on individuals in each pew, and masks and social distancing was not required.

Caption: A Madrasah student turns up early for Friday prayers during the pandemic, his own prayer mat and mask the new accessories in a mosque segregated by zones.

Due to the pandemic, the individual prayer zone or area has to be demarcated with tape marking to make sure the congregants adhere to safety management measures. They are also required to bring their own individual prayer mats and pray with masks on.

Prior to the Pandemic, congregants could use prayer mats from the mosque itself, without social distancing and mask during prayers.

Caption: A worshiper checks in using the trace together app at the mosque for Friday prayers, a mandatory and enforced procedure for all places of worship during the pandemic.

Entry has to be staggered and limited due to crowd control measures to limit the amount of congregants allowed during each prayer session, with ingress and egress points set up to manage a steady flow of human traffic.

Prior to the Pandemic, no booking of prayer slots were necessary, as were the safe distancing measures or the checking in and out via TraceTogether.

Caption: A hindu couple dressed in their wedding attire with the various artifacts used during a hindu wedding ceremony. With the relaxation of the covid measures, wedding couples are allowed to celebrate their occasions without the need to wear masks.

Prior to the Pandemic, weddings were joyous occasions that had no limits on participants or social distancing observed as well as masks being worn during the wedding itself.

Caption: In the South Indian tradition, the couple take seven steps around the sacred fire pit. The groom will lead his bride by the pinkie, taking seven steps around the fire. The groom will take the first four steps of the pheras, leading the bribe. Each round of the seven steps signifies a special meaning, with harmonious meanings assuring the couple work together in their marriage, much like a vow. 

Prior to the Pandemic, weddings were joyous occasions that had no limits on participants or social distancing observed as well as masks being worn during the wedding itself.

Caption: A family embrace during a funeral in covid times. The pandemic had prevented
Many families from getting the chance to say their goodbyes in a dignified manner.

Prior to the Pandemic, funerals were sombre occasions that had no limits on individual paying respects or social distancing observed during the gatherings or last rites. Friends and families could embrace one another without masks being worn as well as to have food together at the tables.

Caption: The pandemic had robbed most of us of the most basic forms of connection, touch. I remembered seeing photographs during the 2020 period where lockdowns worldwide prevented people from seeing each other, where family members and loved ones can only hug one another, with a large plastic sheet separating them apart. It was powerful looking at those images, that not even a pandemic could take away the very human element of touch. I wanted to reflect that through this image.

Prior to the Pandemic, funerals were sombre occasions that had no limits on individual paying respects or social distancing observed during the gatherings or last rites. Friends and families could embrace one another without masks being worn as well as to have food together at the tables.