KUCHING, Aug 26: A documentary featuring traditional frame-making, an old-school handicraft that is slowly dying out in this digital age, takes viewers on a delightful stroll down memory lane in old Kuching city.
The story unfurls at Carpenter Street, the venue for the yearly Moon Cake festival celebration, which was once a busy street for many traditional occupations such as tin-smithing, carpentry, and all sorts of trading and frame-making businesses.
The main character is long-time resident and one of the familiar faces of Carpenter Street, Ou Yong Wai Coi, who has been a framemaker since he moved from Guangzhou, China, to Kuching when he was 10-years-old.
For almost 80 years, he has lived here and worked here. He also met his wife here and started his family here.
In the four-minute-14-second documentary titled “The Frame Maker” which can be watched on YouTube (https://youtu.be/Hch5GjNCLFY) and Facebook (
https://www.facebook.com/iammotionfoundry/videos/407313799872536/),
the 88-year-old Ou Yong related how he travelled from China and settled in Kuching as a general worker and inherited the frame shop from his late aunt.
“Frame-making is the most difficult in this industry. There used to be many shops, but many closed down over the years.
“Craftsmanship very much depends on skills; not many people are doing this now,” said the bespectacled Ou Yang, who took off his glasses during the interview, and conversed in his Cantonese mother tongue.
The opening scene shows the shop, from its exterior to its interior, and hundreds of different frames hanging inside.
Ou Yang, wearing a white singlet and dark shorts, is seen walking slowly to sit on a 100-year-old belian bench at the entrance. He looks at his business signboard, “Yeck Sung Frame Makers”, a precious gift from his late aunt who trained him, before smiling at the camera.
Presently, it is a challenging time for the trade as there are many products from China in the market. Everyone has their preferences, when it comes to quality and cost.
With mass-produced cheap products flooding the market, a hand-crafted picture frame is now a niche product for those who appreciate quality and workmanship.
Ou Yang said his shop specialises in custom made boxes using different type of woods and materials, which is more durable.
Remembering the past, Ou Yang said he used to make RM48 monthly with long working hours, but still managed to support the whole family like most people, as opposed to the “luxury” many people enjoy now.
He has passed down the business to his son and wishes that the traditional trade and techniques used can be passed on to the fourth generation — his small wish which the now retired man claims he can take no credit for.
The documentary is the first of its kind from local production house Motion Foundry that interviews old Chinese immigrants and highlights dying trades in Kuching, with plans for more.
The producer of the documentary Amy Khiu told DayakDaily that the film is to document the ‘living history’ of Kuching, its beautiful stories and heritage, otherwise they will soon be forgotten when the older generations pass on. — DayakDaily
