Benjamin Tan

Benjamin Tan / For Naomi

After graduating from junior college, Ben gathered his closest friends and in 2 months, with no prior training in the visual arts, completed his first experimental piece, A Moment of Silence. A year later, partly inspired by his stint serving his national service in the army, he made ‘Remember Me’. Both pieces screened at the Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai. Later that year, ‘Remember Me’ was curated for the 7th Asian Film Symposium.
To date, he has made 3 films. Ben is working on the script of his 4th film. He’s recently been accepted at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media, and will be starting school in the academic year of 2008.

Director’s Statement:
For Naomi juxtaposes the inevitable coupling of selfishness and practicality with the selflessness of child-like love - one so pure and untainted it is almost illogical; almost 'impractical'. On another level it reflects humankind's self-centred and flippant perspective of life in general, especially towards those we do not associate and connect with instinctively. It throws into question the boundaries that define a vermin and if the motivations behind such delineations are selfish in nature.

The film screened at the 2007 Festival della Creativita in Florence, Italy, as part of the video art showcase alongside other innovative works in animation and film.