Ivan Vladimirovich Polunin (12 December 1920 – 21 December 2010) was a medical doctor, author, teacher, documentary filmmaker, and photographer. He is best known for his rare colour films, which document cultural traditions and wildlife in Singapore and Malaysia from the 1950s. The films contain important historical and sociological information, and were recently the subject of a local documentaries Lost Images and "Invisible City" which showed his well-preserved film archive. His work has been featured in National Geographic magazine; aired on the BBC and stored in the Smithsonian.
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Early life and education
Polunin was born to an English mother, Elizabeth Polunin (née Hart) and Russian father Vladimir Polunin in 12 December 1920, London. He had two brothers: Nicholas Polunin, who later became an arctic explorer and environmentalist, and Oleg Polunin who was a botanist, author, teacher and traveller. He also had a sister, Tanya Polunin, who owned a music school and taught piano.
Polunin visited his uncle's farm during holidays, where he developed and interest in wild flowers and animals. He later studied classics, natural sciences and medicine.
Career
Polunin travelled to Singapore in 1948 to complete his National Service in hospitals in Singapore and Malaya. He remained in Asia, and spent most of his working life teaching medical students in Social Medicine & Public Health in Singapore and researching disease patterns in tribal peoples in Malaya.