Letter to my Mom

ampulets was commissioned to create a short animated documentary clip for "Living Well, Leaving Well", a part of the Both Sides, Now project that is taking place at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital from 16 November to 8 December. Both Sides, Now is an immersive art project by Singapore theatre company Drama Box to get people to start thinking and talking about death and dying.
James Teo from ampulets says this about the animated short:

My mother struggled with stroke for a few years. When she died, I felt relieved. Relieved that she no longer had to suffer the helplessness and despair. Stroke is a scary thing. I watched as it stripped her of her physical and mental self. We watched and felt just as helpless - we could not do much to help her. I remembered vividly when we asked my mother why her head was always hung low whenever we took out her out in her wheelchair, she told us that she looked like a ghost. It hurt so much to hear that she no longer regard herself as a human being. 

All these memories of my mother came back sharply when Jasmine (one of the organisers of Both Sides, Now) showed us the recorded interview with healthcare worker Kenneth. He spoke about the importance of planning for one's last days, not only for your own sake, but for your loved ones.  

"写给妈妈的信 / Instructions for my wife" is a conversation between my memories and Kenneth's advice - one about the past, and one about what can be done for the future. Most of us will spend all of our time striving to live well, but we hope this short film will inspire some of us to also think about how to leave well too.

Project Year: 2013