Small room

The shot was intentionally taken from a high angle. This makes the foreign domestic helper appear smaller, and causes the shelves, cupboards and clutter stacked up around her to appear taller and more constrictive, hence she appears to be confined in the room.

Placed in a storeroom, she seems just like the items around her — forgotten and surplus to the family. The lighting is cold and dim, adding to the dispirited melancholy of the shot.

Her posture is symbolic of someone ill at ease with her surroundings and lacking comfort, and her hugging of her knees to her chest is indicative of vulnerability. Her closed body language adds to the feeling of alienation.

In Singapore, it is a culturally acceptable norm for the domestic helper to have a small and cramped room as their living space. Sometimes their rooms even double up as storage area.

Knowing that our target audience would understand the cultural significance of the small room, we wanted to make use of this epistemological stereotype to inform them of a domestic helper’s sacrifice — in this case, forgoing comfortable and familiar living conditions that differ greatly from what we Singaporeans enjoy.