Hashi

Hashi looks like a Japanese film, but strictly speaking it isn’t. Sherman Ong is a Malaysian film maker who lives and works in Singapore. Ong made the film during a period as artist in residence in the Museum for Asian Art in Fukuoka. His Japanese is limited, so he had to develop an approach in order to communicate with his actors – and in this film, largely actresses. The financial and technical facilities at his disposal were also limited. And he couldn’t work with professional actors. However, he regarded it as a challenge to make something special despite these limitations.
In the film, three stories are told about three women who represent three different generations. The stories are interwoven, and Ong was obviously not afraid of creating confusion with the spectator. The youngest woman (Momo) is a ‘bento’ (lunchbox) courier who tells her dreams to the older women. The stories get even more complex because the female roles are played by different actresses. Ong confronts the dramatic complexity with a very minimal visual style.
According to the film maker, ‘Hashi’ was one of the first words he learnt in Japan. Depending on the kanji (characters) with which you write it, it means a bridge, chopsticks or the edge of something. So the title of the film has all these meanings at the same time. (GjZ)

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