Children of Mon Mot

Credits

Director & Editor: Rachel Siao Jia Yu
Director of Photography: Daniel Chong
Producer: Dang Mai Trang
Cinematography: Daniel Chong, Jason Ye, and Shawn Neo
Sound design: Ross Williams and Anand Krishna
Graphics: Joseph Tan
Illustration: Ng Xiao Yan
Host: Family of Bpk Timoteus Lanma (Takalelang)

Supported by Singapore MOE grants:
MOE2012-T2-1-100 (Principal Investigator: Alexander R. Coupe)
MOE2013-T2-1-016 (Principal Investigator: František Kratochvíl)

Description

Children of Mon Mot is a documentary surrounding an Abui folktale, the Mon Mot Mon, a legendary snake that consumes the inhabitants of an entire village. It unravels the narrative fabric of an Abui myth and the ways in which it connects Abu clans with each other and their land. Recounted by four interviewees, the folktale comes to life as part of history and genealogy, revealing dark messages of foreboding.It also unravels the narrative fabric of an Abui myth and the ways in which it connects Abu clans with each other and with their land. The film is shot entirely with DSLR and camcorder and consists of four sets of interviews edited with footage of Abui lifestyle and customs. By contextualizing the folktale of Mon Mot Mon into the film medium, this documentary pays homage to the language of the Abui people, allowing them to tell the story the way they want to, staying true to the act of the spoken tale passed down through generations.

Trailer

Contact Rachel Siao for the full documentary.

Gallery

Supplementary Videos