A Trilogy Of Emotions

Royston Tan’s first English feature film is a trilogy of tales, one of which is inspired by Janelle Leo.

PHOTO: Carol Lee

Director and producer of acclaimed films such as 881, 15 and 12 Lotus, Royston Tan’s first English language film, The Birdsong Trilogy explores three themes: passion, betrayal and forgiveness.

City News: This is your first English feature film. How do you think it stretches you as a director?
Before this, I’ve only done either Hokkien or Mandarin films. Trying to make a Singaporean English film seem natural is difficult, as the lingo is different. Because we are so used to speaking ‘Singlish, it just feels weird hearing perfect English.

CN: Why did you base your stories on those three themes?
Because these are the basic experiences we go through in life. We fall in love; we are betrayed, be it in love or friendship, but the most important lesson we can learn is forgiveness. If you do not forgive, you are actually suffering more than the person you can’t forgive. I came to the realization that sadly, many people stop at betrayal. It’s also a reflection of my life journey, how I have grown.

CN: Will we be seeing more English language films from you after Birdsong?
I feel that after this, I can do better. I still feel a lot for Mandarin films, because they are full of hidden meanings. They contain the flavor of human expressions. But I had this fear of doing an English film, hence I made myself confront the fear. And now that I have done it, I can do better at it.

CN: Which of the three stories is your favorite?
I like them all, because there is something different in each of them. The first story on passion is a whimsical musical love ballad. For the second, on betrayal, I drew inspiration from my friends and their experiences. The final story on forgiveness, I was inspired by my friendship with a 4-year-old girl, Janelle, who was undergoing treatment for cancer. She was meant to play the lead role, but because she was quite weak during the time of filming, I had to release her from the 14-hour shoot. I was very touched by how brave and positive she is; she taught me a lot. I used to top my school in art, and I would draw cards for others when I saw how down or discouraged they were. However, I had stopped drawing for a long while. When I visited Janelle, I drew her a monkey, which she colored in. She was so happy with the simple monkey that I bought a notebook and drew more than 40 animals in it for her, which she is coloring in now. That incident helped me to reconnect with myself; it reminded me of how I used to be. Even my mother commented that it’s been a long time since she saw me draw anything. When I saw Janelle’s courage and strength, I realized that many times, children give us the best solutions. So I modeled the last show after her. Although she is not physically in the show and it’s not her life story, I want it to represent her strength and spirit.

The Birdsong Trilogy will be telecast on March 28 on Okto at 10 p.m.

See You At Life-book!

The drama team uploads a 21st century Easter story.

Over the years, City Harvest’s Easter production has gained a reputation for its original storylines that underscore the significance of the season in contemporary yet relevant ways.

This year’s drama is titled Life-book and director Jaslynn Khoo, promises that the churchgoers will not be disappointed. She refuses to reveal much except that while Easter plays are typically period dramas, Life-book takes place in modern times.

The publicity postcard provides a hint: Both the title and graphic interface bear close resemblance to Facebook. Khoo reveals that “[social networking] will be a tool in the drama and will be instrumental in whatever happens in the plot.”

CHC’s creative director, KC Gan is even more cryptic. “What price are we willing to pay to ‘win’? If we have to win at all cost, have we already lost? The drama will explore these issues and struggles, through the gospel story presented from a new angle.”

Cast member Timothy Wan says, “I think people will enjoy seeing the story of Jesus being told in a relatable and modern manner.”
Despite the contemporary setting, Khoo says that there will be “parallel scenes” in the story to help the audience relate to the story of Jesus. “It will almost feel as if Jesus is walking among us in the 21st century.”

Life-book will be performed at seven services next weekend, starting from Good Friday.

Unsung Heroes: Cecilia Quah

This single mother inspires many with her tremendous courage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CECILIA QUAH

Seven years ago Cecilia Quah thought all was lost when she separated from her husband. Yet, in spite of the heartbreak and disappointment, she picked herself up and was determined to move on in life, to raise and shoulder the expenses of bringing up her two children (both below 10 years of age then) single-handedly.

Although a single mother, Quah had a strong desire to bring love and happiness to those around her. She decided to join City Harvest Community Services Association as a volunteer to work with underprivileged children. Her motivation was to give these young ones “a glimpse of hope in this broken world.”

While Quah’s road to recovery was particularly challenging, she managed to balance the demands of her job as a teacher and being  both “mummy” and “daddy” to her children.

Her role as a single mother with a passion for teaching is not one for the faint-hearted. Quah recalls times when she had to walk in the rain to send her children to school, even before the school gates opened, so that she could hurry off to teach in the morning session.

On top of her personal challenges, Quah also took on the responsibility of finding her unemployed father a job, and enrolling her younger brother, an early school leaver, into a private school so that he could attain some skills.

As a volunteer for CHCSA, Quah visited and helped many children from low-income families by giving them free tuition. She even sponsored some of them for enrichment camps. Often, Quah would go the extra mile to help parents cope with various stages of parenthood by offering practical assistance and sharing her experiences.

Through her volunteer work, Quah noticed that some of the children under her care had hidden talents. She sought the permission of the parents and brought these children to audition for the first musical production by YoungTalents, which was staged at the Victoria Theatre in 2008. Her efforts paid off when these children were given the opportunity to perform on stage.

Yeow Yong Wen, a 10-year-old girl who has central processing learning disability, gave an outstanding performance on the night of the musical. For Yeow, this proved to be a great morale booster, and she has since become more confident and vocal.

Despite a life that is full of pressing and urgent demands, Quah keeps increasing her capacity as an individual, seeking to improve the quality of life for others with her unceasing, tireless acts of kindness and service to her family, her students and the children whom she volunteers for.

What’s Next For Haiti?

Since January this year, CityCare has sent teams to help the Haitians in Carrefour. The next phase of aid is to raise funds and help rebuild the town.

Contributed By Wayne Chan

A formal letter of appreciation to CityCare from Mayor of Carrefour

The most recent reports about Haiti say that Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, still needs much help. Widespread hunger is a key concern; social problems like child prostitution have reared their ugly heads. These can only be brought under control if basic needs are met. The temporary housing, namely tents, are mostly built on slopes due to the unevenness of the ground post-quake. A flash flood last week destroyed one such housing site. Aid groups are rushing to stabilize living conditions for 200,000 displaced Haitians.

Aid to Haiti must continue and does. Most recently, the British government and public donated GBP121 million and pledged long-term aid.

For CityCare, the non-profit organization that sent six aid teams between January and March to help administer medical aid and bring supplies, the town it chose to help appears to be ahead of the curve in its recovery.

Carrefour is a poor area in the Port-Au-Prince metropolitan area, and has an estimated population of about 400,000.

Working with a local church there, the Church of Light, CityCare saw a total of  7,943 patients in Carrefour. The organization’s teams comprised doctors, nurses, other medical personnel and volunteer workers. A total of 12 doctors volunteered their time to join the Haitian relief trips.

Kenneth Sim, 40, CityCare’s field director, explained that though the Singapore teams have returned, the makeshift clinic set up by them remains to serve the people of Carrefour.

“Our clinic saved many lives and treated many of the casualties and the sick in Carrefour. The Mayor was very grateful and thanked us. After our last team left on March 6, we handed our operations over to two American medical teams who are still running the clinic today.”

To date, CityCare has spent S$374,438 on medical supplies, four-man tents, water filters, solar lamps, cards and balloons for the children, among other items, for the people in Carrefour.

For the tireless support the organization had shown Carrefour, the town’s Mayor wrote an official letter of thanks to CityCare. Sim also noted that their partners in Carrefour, the Church of Light has seen more than 300 new people join the church.

Sim also told City New that now that things are beginning to stabilize in the town, the organization’s plan to set up an orphanage is underway.

“Our counterpart is securing the land by the end of March,” he said. “They can begin construction in May. The challenge we face is mainly a matter of funds, because the cost of building has gone up now that it is mandatory that buildings constructed must be able to withstand earthquakes up to a certain magnitude.”

When completed, the orphanage will house 100 orphans.

Although Carrefour is seeing progress, Sim noted, “There is a lot more to be done in and for Haiti. In Singapore, CityCare is working with Flyer Entertainment to hold a fund-raising concert this June to help to build homes for the displaced Haitians.”

Haiti is but one of CityCare’s many beneficiaries. In Sri Lanka, a “widow center” will be completed in early April. In China, CityCare is currently building schools in Sichuan and Yunnan, plus student dormitories in Guizhou and Inner Mongolia.

The Big Screen: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

This movie brings to life the popular Diary Of A Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney. The essence of the Napolean-esque pre-teen Greg Heffley is beautifully captured by the angel-faced Zachary Gordon.

Greg is the egotistical middle child in the Heffley family sandwiched between annoying teen older bully-brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick), and little brother Manny (Connor and Owen Fielding).

Greg and his goody-two-shoes best pal Rowley (Robert Capron) have just started middle school. Greg is convinced that he will be the most popular guy in school before term is over.

But he is limited by his dimunitive stature (which is diametrically opposed to his self-confidence). He and Rowley find themselves outcasts, eating their lunch next to the dustbin.

Determined to gain respect, Greg joins the wrestling club (only to be trashed by a girl), the school safety patrol (only to be kicked out when he leaves the kindergarteners he’s tasked to protect, in a ditch in the rain), the school musical (only to be cast as a tree).
So blinded is he by his quest that he lets Rowley take the blame for his abandonment of the kindergarteners, and in a freak accident, causes Rowley to break his arm. Schoolmates ask to sign his cast, and soon Rowley is sitting with the prettiest girls in school. Greg, on the other hand, finds himself the most unpopular boy around.

A well-paced,well-acted morality tale that has both kids and the parents thinking hard about the importance of character in a dog-eat-dog world, Wimpy Kid the movie succeeds in transcending the puerile gags in the books, to teach a valuable lesson in integrity.

Rating:

Enabled To Serve The Community

A new batch of volunteers undergo an Enablers’ Orientation session to empower them to serve effectively.

Contributed By Shaun Isaac

CN PHOTO: Andy Loh

Set up in March 1996, City Harvest Community Services Association has become a household name in Singapore. Part of their mission statement is “to be an effective service provider to every client, regardless of race, language or religion.”

Having stayed true to their vision, CHCSA has clients in every aspect of the community. Ranging from children, youth, elderly, and the terminally-ill, the association has been providing support and help through the contributions of their volunteers, numbering just under 1,000.

Being a volunteer takes more than just showing up. CHCSA takes pains to train volunteers so that they can be better prepared to serve as effectively as possible. Volunteers are known as “Enablers.”

“We coined the term ‘Enabler’ as we want our volunteers to be individuals who impact the beneficiaries positively in such a way that their interaction will allow both the Enabler and beneficiary to develop and grow,” states Darryl Loh, Executive Director of CHCSA.

As is the case with many community service organizations, although there is a high demand for volunteers, there are also certain requirements that need to be met should anyone wish to contribute time to the community. Enablers recruited need to fulfill the requirements of being “SHARP”: Sensitive, Happening, Always positive, Responsible and Pro-active.

On March 20, CHCSA held the first Enablers’ Orientation of 2010. Over 40 Enablers braved a cold and wet Saturday morning to report for their orientation at The Riverwalk on Upper Circular Road. From all walks of life, these Enablers came together for what was to be an eventful Saturday morning.

After presenting the vision and core values of the association, the staff provided an overview of the services offered by the association. Throughout the presentation, the Enablers were attentive, and were quick to ask questions after the presentation.

The highlight of the day was the session on team building and interaction. The staff engaged the Enablers through a series of games which required them to think through and solve problems with teamwork, trust and effective communication.

Through the activities, the Enablers realized the importance of trusting one another. “We may all help out in different services within the association, but we are really all part of one family,” says Sheryl Lim, 26, a social worker at CHCSA.

“I decided to become an Enabler working with youth because I believe that the youth are our future. Shaping their lives is essentially shaping the future,” says Bernard Lau, 20, a student.

CHCSA views its volunteers as valuable assets to the association. Because of the help of all their Enablers, the organization has been able to reach out to the community and impact society in significant ways.

“All our Enablers are important because they are our extended arms and legs that help us meet the needs of our clients and serve the community,” quips Lim.

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An Overview of CHCSA’s Services:

COPE–A Community Outreach Program for the Elderly

POD–People Of Destiny is a youth center set up by CHCSA, in collaboration with Tampines Changkat Citizens’ Consultat ive Committee and Ministry of Community Development Youth & Sports

KITE–Kids In Total Embrace encompasses Smartkids Tuition as well as YoungTalents programs

RAYZ–RAYZ aims to provide a “ray of hope” to the intellectually- challenged

Talking Hands–Talking Hands is an outreach for the hearing-impaired in the community

FIRST Hand–Friends In Reaching and Serving the Terminally-ill reaches out to patients suffering from HIV/Aids

MS Care–MS Care is a service dedicated to supporting people living with Multiple Sclerosis

STAR Families–STrengthening And Restoring the family unit in society

M3–Mighty Men in the Making provides rehabilitation services for inmates and ex-offenders

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