contact      

in the race towards ambition,
what is failure?

director’s statement



The pressure of ambition,
success, and especially 
competition is an issue that 
haunts many youths. Trying to 
figure out where they’re meant 
to be and go, always comparing
to peers and feeling like, or even
being told to their face that 
they’re not at their highest 
potential.


I firmly believe that success and ambition is not the most important thing in life. Sometimes ‘failure’ can lead to redemption and internal happiness/validation, and there is no such thing as ‘wasting time’ in finding your place in life. Hopefully that can relate to the younger generation and even my peers, and allow them to appreciate themselves and life around them more.



Reconnecting with childhood
friends and rediscovering our
dynamic alongside our
audience feels so surreal,
and I feel extremely grateful
to have this opportunity to
begin with. The opportunity
to catch up, rethink young
memories, and learn from
each other as adults has
been one of the best
moments in my life that will
follow me beyond this film.


Making this film has been simultaneously terrifying and unpredictable as it has been eye-opening and enjoyable. I am so incredibly proud of our work and how it’s shaped itself, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone. I hope Joanne and I’s efforts and love that has gone into this documentary speaks to people beyond ourselves.











MERDE is a short documentary film that follows 3 current and former ballerinas, all having started from the same ballet studio, but all in very different places in life now, exploring what ‘failure’ means to them in their relationship with ballet, how that’s shaped them, and how they’ve bounced back.













Contact Us



Email
Instagram

Contact Form




Nanyang Technological University
School of Art, Design and Media
81 Nanyang Dr, Singapore 637458







Presented by