Traveller

Directed by Zhu Houren

A mockumentary on the phenomenon of Western backpackers travelling in Singapore and Southeast Asia during the 1980s. Featuring real interviews and interweaving staged sequences simulating a travel infomercial, the video offers a light-hearted look at the clash of cultures. The film was produced by Singaporean actor Choo Hoh Yim (better known as Zhu Houren) in 1983 when he had just returned to Singapore from Hong Kong, where he was a script supervisor. Choo was working as a social worker and had intended to test out his new filming equipment. With a colleague, they headed to the streets to capture some images that eventually evolved into the idea of making the documentary.