director's statement:

The first semblance of this story came to me when I was at a beach overseas and these South Asian men would come up to me to try and sell me beach toys, soda, candy, etc. I also saw men perform and blow massive bubbles to entertain children and earn a living. I started to wonder about how they found these jobs, whether they were happy, and how long they worked there. The transience of such a job fascinated me and was such a stark contrast to the jobs we hold in high regard that fit more into the capitalistic mold of being a productive society.

Going deeper though, Kabir’s class struggle and racial identity is very important to me. Being from Singapore, there is a huge and quite invisible class and racial inequality, one example of which is how we source transient workers from Bangladesh and poorer parts of Southeast Asia, to carry out tasks that are seen as less favourable. They are underpaid and not treated as equal members of society, their bodies effectively seen as second class.

Additionally, the current political climate has been terrifying as an international student but more than that, it is upsetting to see marginalized people be subject to abuse. There is just so much cruelty and apathy in the world. I have always been an optimist, I love hopeful endings, but it has been tough to hold on to such a belief when human rights are not guaranteed for many.

Being an international student in New York with limited say and not being in Singapore long enough to create any change, has made me feel really helpless. I suppose this is where Frankie comes in. She’s an amalgamation of my fears and of things I see from my generation, who have been assailed with an endless amount of bad news, and feel helpless on what to do, and how to find the hope to carry on. I wanted to create this story through my unique lens, that highlights how important Kabir’s life is, that his “small” job as a bubble wand seller brings joy to Frankie and others, and that we should never give in to apathy.

the characters:

About the director:

Angela Ananya Ramkumar is a Singaporean writer-director based in New York that aims to capture the bittersweetness of life, with a focus on minority identities.

What we need your help for:

‘Where did the bubble man go?’ is my thesis film at NYU and it would be amazing if you could help bring this story to life by either sharing or donating some money. This money will go towards equipment rentals, food for our talented cast and crew, clothing for our actors, transportation costs, props, and festival fees.

Where are we at right now? We've begun our Casting process, started ideating on cohesive Production Design elements, conducted our second location scout, and are deeply engaged in Shot listing so that every frame is crafted with intention and creativity. We are running full steam ahead!

Our stretch goals? Paying for all cast transport, a passenger van, targeting niche film festivals to widen our audience, Instagram paid promotion of the film, community outreach, and more!

Any amount helps!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support.

– Angela Ananya Ramkumar

Share the film with these pre-written messages!

I’m so excited to support @Wheredidthebubbleman.go, a bittersweet, whimsical film that resists apathy. Support now on @seedandspark: seedandspark.com/fund/where-did-the-bubble-man-go

I just pledged to @Wheredidthebubbleman.go, a moving film that rejects the label of insignificance. Please consider supporting and sharing: seedandspark.com/fund/where-did-the-bubble-man-go

@Wheredidthebubbleman.go is a film that calls attention to the beauty of life, that every life matters– be it that of a bubble wand seller. Support now: seedandspark.com/fund/where-did-the-bubble-man-go