Local stories highlighted in MCI's mini film series 'Stronger Together'

The Ministry of Communications and Information’s (MCI) has launched a collection of short films entitled “Stronger Together”, that it says showcases real stories of Singaporeans demonstrating resilience, adaptability and support for one another, even as COVID-19 upended their jobs and livelihoods. These short films were filmed in partnership with Tribal Worldwide Singapore, under the OMG group.

The four short films tell the stories of a young graduate who struggles to find a job, a private hire driver who takes on a different type of commute to provide for his family, an air stewardess as flights remain grounded, and an elderly couple who keeps their business afloat online.  The series is helmed by homegrown filmmaker and director Royston Tan and his team of local directors, and are available in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.

Soffy Hariyanti, director, Campaigns and Production Department of MCI’s Public Communications Division said this is one of the toughest times faced by the nation, with many Singaporeans worrying about their lives and livelihoods. She added that apart from the significant government support aimed at saving jobs and supporting families, it was also the resilience and determination of the people that would help everyone in this adversity. “The films are inspired by true stories of Singaporeans, who embody these values and we hope they will provide encouragement to others in similar circumstances,” Hariyanti said. According to the press statement by MCI, it will take the collective effort of all Singaporeans to make sacrifices, adapt and seize new opportunities in order to emerge stronger together from this crisis.

Meanwhile, Royston Tan, executive producer and director for one of the films said his team was inspired by the local stories and wanted to tell the stories in a way that did them justice. “We hope viewers will be heartened by these short films and never give up during this critical period”, Tan added. 

Benson Toh, creative director at Tribal Worldwide Singapore said the collection of short films paid homage to Singaporeans who stood strong against the adversities of COVID-19. “We want to share the grit this generation has displayed and as we replay these narratives, give people hope in trying times like these”, Toh added.

Take a look at the initial launch video and films: 

1) From Support to Success

This tells the story of Lisa, a graduating student who struggles to find a job during this difficult period. The film chronicles her frustrations and her journey as she overcomes the challenges, and is directed by Caleb Huang.

2) From Grace to Grit

This tells the story of Liang Lilin, a Singapore Airlines cabin crew who taps on her years of experience in the service industry, and begins working in a hospital as a Care Ambassador after COVID-19 grounded flights worldwide, and is directed by Alvin Lee. The film showcases the backstory of employees of SIA who have willingly stepped up to help out in the pandemic.

3) From Resilience to Recovery

This story is about private hire car driver, Fadzuly, who keeps an open mind to new opportunities to continue supporting his family, and goes above and beyond to support the community. The film is directed by Royston Tan. The film shows how a resilient mind and a caring heart is crucial to emerge stronger from the crisis as one.

4) From Chance to Compassion

This film shares the story of restaurant owners Anand and Nisha. With the support of another fellow Singaporean, they embraced digitalisation of their business operations during COVID-19, and went on to give back to the less privileged. The film is directed by He Shuming.

This is not the first time MCI has pushed heavily into the content and film space. In a tribute to the Merdeka Generation, MCI also previously partnered with MM2 Entertainment to launch a series of four short films. The films, titled The Merdeka Stories, was released in cinemas, online, and on free-to-air television from 31 January 2019 onwards, as a lead-up to the Tribute Event to be hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 2 February 2019. The films depicted the lives of the Merdeka Generation Singaporeans born in the 1950s, who grew up amidst the uncertainty of  the nation’s formative years. The films feature how they built up Singapore’s defence, supported the industrialisation, set up homes and raised families, as well as rallied communities together.

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