A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUNG EXPLORERS PROJECT
RACHEL QUEK | PROJECT DIRECTOR
Rachel Quek is a documentary filmmaker who is constantly on the hunt for stories in Southeast Asia. She is fascinated by love, and enjoys probing this concept through visual storytelling. Rachel prioritizes authenticity and empathy in her work, and aims to empower people through compassionate storytelling. Rachel has been fortunate to work under the mentorship of filmmakers, anthropologists, and nature lovers. Her documentary projects have been recognised by Singapore's Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, ACCESS Health International, and the Singapore Eco Film Festival. On weekends, Rachel gets too excited to escape the city to document the stories of people who love Pulau Ubin.
LENNEY LEONG | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Lenney is an aspiring filmmaker who believes in the power of film to inspire others. His passion for filmmaking begun at a young age when he picked up technical skills online. Lenney hopes to tell stories that are true to his heart, and is proud to announce about his new found love for wildlife filmmaking through this Ubin, Sayang project! His achievements include, photographing the opening ceremony of National Gallery with guest Goh Chok Tong and clinching both 2nd and 3rd place in the Singapore Sustainable Blueprint and National Climate Change film competitions. Lenney makes sure to work hard during a film shoot so that he can reward himself with a hearty seafood meal after.
HUIRAN TOH | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES RESEARCHER
Hui Ran loves nature and people and their stories, in that order (just kidding). Her favourite places are tropical jungles, where she has worked, studied, been bitten by leeches and gotten dengue fever. She is happiest in jungle pants and rubber boots, and feels like there will be a lot of opportunities to dress like that in the mangrove forests. She also loves it when other people get to love what she does, which is why she’s dabbled in photography, filmmaking and environmental education. She finds it fun and challenging to distill big things into small, accessible and meaningful pieces. Hui Ran is very excited to learn more about Singapore’s mangroves alongside her wonderful team, and find something new to fall in love with.
AMI FIRDAUS | ANTHROPOLOGY RESEARCHER
Ami Firdaus hopes to bring conversation about the importance of local social relations and cultures in understanding and curbing the manifestation of environmental sustainability issues in Singapore and Southeast Asia. He believes this documentary film is an opportunity to practice his belief in the necessity of Anthropology as a tool for environmental conservation, especially since Pulau Ubin is his favourite place in Singapore. He is also currently doing research in unpacking the social relations and social organization embedded in the political ecology of palm oil in a location in Jambi, Sumatra. During his free time, Ami is an avid athlete who plays a multitude of sports and dabbles in singing, theatre and dance.
JIE LIN CHIA | ANTHROPOLOGY RESEARCHER
Having grown up in a landscape where the old is constantly demolished to make way for the new, Jie Lin is very curious about the place of heritage in both the Singaporean landscape and national imagination. She is constantly looking to find answers to questions such as: What exactly is a Singaporean heritage? Are heritage and urban development necessary mutually exclusive? How can one help in the process of conservation? In particular, she is interested in studying the various social tensions surrounding highly-contested areas such as Bukit Brown and Pulau Ubin. During her leisure time, Jie Lin enjoys good mystery novels, games, anime and manga.
SE ERN LIM | URBAN STUDIES RESEARCHER
Se Ern often struggles between her love for cities and nature. She enjoys planning holidays around mountain getaways, but cannot imagine a life away from the chaos and built form of cities. Se Ern is currently an urban studies major at Yale-NUS and has explored cities all over the world including Rome, Taipei, Athens, Amman and San Francisco. She keeps a precious collection of maps from her adventures on her room walls. Singapore is still her favourite city and the place she calls home. In exploring Pulau Ubin, Se Ern hopes to be able to retell the story of the urban-rural myth and better understand the role of community in Singapore’s urbanisation.
ILYA KATRINNADA | PHOTOGRAPHER
Born and bred in Singapore, Ilya's interest in people and culture has paved the way for her to pursue a major in Anthropology. She finds solace in photography as a cathartic tool and believes that a combination of the right photos and words make for a powerful way to tell stories that matter. Ilya enjoys spending time with children and is deeply passionate about education. She spent the summer of freshmen year interning with the International Humanity Foundation – an NGO that provides educational resources to underprivileged kids – at their branch in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and instantly fell in love with the children she taught. She also spent a semester in the Indian Himalayas with Hanifl Centre for Outdoor Education where she gained a solid understanding on how human beings and nature are inextricably interlinked.
ZHI HENG CHIA | PHOTOGRAPHER
Zhi Heng is a struggling college student who is still trying to find his purpose in life. Amidst all the distractions and heavy workload of the college life, he seeks solace in photography, taking a keen interest in photographing the beautiful landscapes around the world. He loves photographing nature because it leaves him constantly awestruck by the beauty of the world and reminds him of his insignificance in the greater scheme of things thus humbling his existence. Zhi Heng also loves occasional long walks on the beach and contemplating about life. Fun fact: Zhi Heng can do a backflip!
