Still

Producer: Geraldine Lee

Director: Sean Ng

Script: Scene Ng, Rona Edwards, and Diyanah Mustapho'
Actors: Michael Chua & Chiaki Kawamura

This is a film I have been looking forward to act in, as a challenge to deliver its crucial and subtler aspects. It is about the emotional struggles of a middle-aged man caring for his beloved wife who is in mere vegetative state, and burdened by the tedium of making ends meet in modern-day Tokyo.

I am usually very careful with taking up emotional roles, as too much of them can affect me off-reel. Emotional roles draw a lot from within as one gets into character. So I took up the role in "Still" on the merits of its script. It is also the first time that I have to deliver my lines in Japanese. "Japanese 101"  for me was a long time ago in University, so most of the help in the language came from Ms Chiaki Kawamura, who plays the character of the wife.

Production was shot at night. There were a few difficult scenes, among which was the suicide which I have no experience in! :)  I was also literally shivering in the cold bath, as by then, it was already the wee hours of the morning. And so I endured, while the technical aspects (lights, angles, props...etc) were being contemplated and sorted!  A bit of hot water would have been nice, but I think the crew had so much to take care of that it was overlooked. Actually, even I didn't think of it before hand. By then, everyone was also exhausted and I didn't want to make anything more difficult. :)

We wrapped near day break. I was satisfied, but emotionally drained!!!

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