Fundamentally Happy Critical Analysis

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CDP438 - Directing Christine Seow (U1330454H) Critical Analysis on the Direction of Fundamentally Happy Faced with the subject of paedophilia, we either condemn its crime or are ignorant about it. Such a heavy topic is often deemed as a taboo conversation, even more so in a conservative society like Singapore. Fundamentally Happy highlights the complexities of paedophilia brilliantly, exploring the apathetic and condemning responses towards the victim, resulting in an exploration of issues that leaves you thinking deeper. Fundamentally Happy tackles with the balance of love and loss, exploring the tragedy of a paedophilic incident that results in a strained and emotional reunion between Eric and his ex-neighbour, Habiba. Approaching the …show more content…

The couple had once treated him like their own child, and he finds that Habiba and Uncle Ismail are still living there. Eric, who was once so fond of their company and the warmth of their hospitality, shockingly unravels the secret that he has kept hidden for years - that Uncle Ismail is a paedophile who had abused him as a child; causing their reunion to be fueled by a whirlwind of emotions. Right off the bat, Fundamentally Happy loses no time in highlighting the usage of intercultural relationships. This is first introduced to the audience where Habiba turns the music player in her house on, and it plays a Malay song. Dressed in a Malay attire, I instantly recognise her as a Malay woman without any doubts. But my perception gradually changes when Habiba reaches over to the music player and changes the music - to a dialect song. My surprise is further enhanced when Habiba’s belts out fluent Mandarin upon conversing with Eric. I am then left to question, what is the ethnicity of Habiba? This left a thoughtful impact on me, as we often judge and perceive one’s actions and behaviours as a result of their ethnicity, which is by more often than not, judged by their skin colour and

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