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掀开光鲜表面 《好公民》叙述贫老真实困境

by 林殊
18/11/2020
in 人情冷暖, 新闻, 时事, 社交媒体, 社区, 视频, 退休
Reading Time: 1 min read
0

从媒体报导、各项数据、或学术研究,国人也能了解贫困老人问题,一名本土导演则透过影片,走进他们的世界,看见他们真正窘迫和挣扎的生活。

为此,新加坡导演陈碧云(音译,Tan Biyun)选择以贫困老人为主题,揭开他们长期生活在阴暗底下,为了生存而挣扎的另一面-《好公民》(Citizen Hustler)。

本社报道,《好公民》影片原订在下个月5日,在新加坡国际电影节上映,不过迄今仍待电影审查委员会的评级。

尽管电影仍未上映,但仍可先带你一探究竟其电影的魅力,以下可能会剧透部分剧情。

此次的电影主角不再是由任何光鲜亮丽演员主演,而是将镜头锁定在一对60岁的小贩夫妇陈福生(Chan Fook Seng)以及谢秀婷(Seah Siok Tiang),他们原在双溪路(Sungei Road)跳蚤市场摆摊,却在2017年时时因跳蚤市场关闭断了生计。(人名皆音译)

当他们试图申请社会福利,却面临各种官僚和语言等障碍。因此,谈判成为他们生活至关重要的技能,希望能与政府对话,生活获得改善。

掀开光鲜表面 真正揭示“贫困老人”的生活

影片的开场以当时跳蚤市场关闭的情形映入眼帘,建筑工人开始围起该地,原本摆摊的小贩也离开。在围栏外摆卖商品的小贩们,也被执法官员通知需要离开。

陈福生没有任何反抗的权利,亦不是少数获得许可证的商贩,最后只能和许多摊贩一样,转移阵地,在牛车水非法摆摊,以及开启他与政府援助的“斗争”的路。

镜头再次转到陈福生的家中,家中不再是为了拍摄而摆设整齐和美观的景观,而是堆满物品,杂乱无章,画面或许会让观众一度觉得不适。

这些物品从珠宝、旧手机到收音机,甚至是连笔记本电脑都有,非常繁杂。无法了解为何陈福生家中需要囤积这么多的物品,或许这些物品就是陈福生赖以为生的“杂货”,只能靠它们贩卖出去,赚取那微薄的收入。

陈福生也开始一点点揭露自己如今的生活状态,他透露,自己曾当过清洁工,但由于年迈的身体,四肢虚弱,无法再从事清洁工,而且他并没有公积金(CPF)储蓄,所有的公积金已经被花光。

目前只有乐龄补贴计划(Silver Support Scheme)的700元在维持夫妇俩的生活。很遗憾的是,妻子并没有被列在乐龄补贴计划的受益人内。试想想,两人要仅靠700元过活根本就是天方夜谭,因为光是基本的生活开销就已经要到至少1千元以上。

所以,除了700元的补贴,他们两人被迫到市场生非法贩卖,赚取那微不足道的收入,才能够勉强将生活撑下去。

生活上的“小事”,都足以摧毁他们的生活

但老天爷对他们的眷顾似乎少了一点,我们认为的许多小事,都足以成为他们生活上被绊倒的绊脚石,例如身体上的病痛、没钱吃饭等,甚至是钱包不见去补件,都可能摧毁他们的生活。

陈福生表示,自己的钱包曾经不见,内含他和妻子的身份证,对我们而言,也就是掏钱补件这么简单,但对他们而言却是一场与政府官员“搏斗”的故事,为了能够获得手续费豁免,他们被迫接受移民关卡局(ICA)官员问话。

陈福生形容,自己在被问话的过程如同在福利援助中心被问话一样。虽然最终他本人可以豁免手续费,得到了新的身份证,但他不得不掏出60元为妻子补上身份证。

尽管如此,他们仍在不断迈进。他们还是会出门兜售商品,到咖啡店休息,甚至和工作人员开玩笑。

在整个拍摄过程,都可处处见到导演的踪影,她帮助陈福生到家庭服务中心(Family Services Centre)帮他处理身份证不见的事;寻找其他的经济援助;翻译各种政府机构的正式信件。

社会援助到底援助了谁?

其中最令人困惑的部分即是政府的援助过程,如同一团迷雾。这也是电影想要传达的讯息之一,即使是处理陈福生案件的社工,也受各种法规和条例所限。

例如,陈福生的乐龄补贴计划每季度只有300元,而他的医疗费用是从个人的保健储蓄(Medisave)中扣除,这也意味着他是自己在支付个人医疗费用。

此外,他的职总折扣券也会过期,一切都需要重新申请。而且政府所寄来的信件几乎是英文,这也是许多贫困老人面临的困境之一。尽管大部分的国人都能够理解英文,但我国的官方语言并非只有英文。要知道,华文,也被列入官方语言之一。

电影揭示了我国社会福利系统差距

电影也揭示了新加坡的社会福利系统所存在的差距,毫无疑问,像陈福生的例子比比皆是,他们生活在泥潭之中,早餐只能喝杯咖啡,或是只能垃圾桶内找一些可能可以出售的物品。

陈福生的例子从来都不是我们一般所见正面励志的代表,反而是代表着我国社会底层的另一种面貌-生活在歧视以及偏见底下,甚至连陈福生本人都非常认同自己是“一个没有用的人”,确实令人非常感慨。

他让我们重新思考生活质量的重要性,不仅仅是将食物免费提供给他们,以及给他们“有瓦遮头”。社会福利系统也不仅仅是所谓的经济援助就能解决他们的困境。

更多的是,尊严的生活。

谢秀婷何去何从?

很遗憾的是,陈福生在今年头时因为心脏病病发逝世,留下妻子一人生活在这世界上。

电影内也透露谢秀婷的后续生活,目前已列为弱势群体,并列入社会援助的行列内,可以暂时领取短期福利救济金,仍待进一步审查相关资格。

然而,值得关注的是,谢秀婷毫无疑问还是会回到同一个官僚机构寻求协助。放在从前,可能还有陈福生继续为她辩护。随着陈福生的离开,谢秀婷未来将必须独自一人面对这些官僚机构,这也是最令人心痛的部分。

我们都知道贫困老人的生活会很糟糕,但从来都没有人真正为我们揭露到底糟糕到什么程度,尤其在官僚制度的糖衣包裹之下,这些困难经常会被弱化,以至于生活在这富裕的城市中的大部分人都不曾了解,仍然有一部分贫困弱势老人正遭遇连我们自己都可能无法面对的困境。

电影最后也指出,官方显示我国仅5千人正在领取相关福利。其官方数据之低连陈福生都难以相信。究竟还有多少人是被这社会所遗忘、遗弃,还有多少人需要用尽全力,从泥潭中爬出来?

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