Mentorship came from beyond Singapore. The film was invited to the First Cut Lab programme in the Philippines. “A seasoned editor gave me and my editor meaningful feedback on what worked and what didn’t. After that, I trusted my instincts.”
For his lead, Kam went straight to Singapore screen royalty. “[Lim] Kay Tong was one of the folks at the top of our mind. We were really elated when he agreed. He did qualify that he wasn’t comfortable speaking in other languages aside from English. I reflected on that and thought, I could use that as an interesting dimension to the story.”
Lim connected immediately. “He told me he truly connected with the story and felt the writing was tight. Flattery does wonders for me,” Kam says. “But seriously, it really boosted the confidence of my entire team.”
And then there’s Perth — that grimy 2004 cult classic also starring Lim. “Funnily enough, I recently attended a retrospective screening of Perth at the Asian Film Archive, which features some past local independent films in their ‘Off the Catalogue’ series,” Kam recalls. “There is a scene where I recall seeing Kay Tong’s character driving a Mercedes-Benz, but not like my film. So yes, there are some similarities and you’re not the first to recommend them as a double-bill.”
When asked about Guillermo del Toro’s claim that the human face is the most interesting landscape in the world, Kam grins. “I watched that on TikTok — an absolutely detestable rabbit hole I still can’t avoid — and I agree. Singapore isn’t the most breathtaking in terms of landscapes, but with the right actors, we can do some good. The first half of the film doesn’t have much dialogue for Kay Tong, so his expressions were key. The landscape of the human face can really move a scene along.”