My mother started bringing me to films when I was two or three. She loved fantastic movies—cowboys, dinosaurs, spaghetti westerns. We watched lots of horror so my tolerance for paranormal stuff was high.
The first film I made was with my mother’s Super 8 Canon camera and my G.I. Joe figures. Stop-andgo animation. I showed it to the adults and they were wondering, “How the hell did these toys come to life?” I was probably about eight or nine.
When Mee Pok Man came out here, it had scathing reviews, but at least the old uncles went to watch it. I got slammed; The Straits Times crucified the film. It was good because it was my first feature, and to be punched in such a hard way and to then get glowing reviews from the international press, I felt better.
I like to work with actors who have never acted before.
When we make a film now, we’ve got to ensure that it’s suitable for the international market. You can’t expect to release a film just in Singapore and break even, especially if it’s a film that’s not a Jack Neo comedy.
We go on about some of Jack Neo’s movies, but the audience is there for those films.
I always tell filmmakers: For your first feature, don’t spend more than half a million. Try and do it—and it can be done—for under $300,000.
We wanted to do an almost silent film, and there’s only three to four minutes of actual dialogue in Be With Me. How do we communicate these days? SMS, email or even food. No one had seen anything quite like it, but it’s universal.
I’ve had grown men—big, tough guys— hugging me, crying and thanking me for making Be With Me. It’s always nice when someone comes up to you to say “Thank you.”
Working on a graphic novel 20 years ago, I had no inspiration or ideas until Philip Cheah passed me this book called Good-Bye and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. I was so blown away that I came up with the stories and drew everything within a month.
At Kinokuniya recently, I found A Drifting Life; the life of Yoshihiro Tatsumi from 1945 to 1960. I thought it would be incredible if we could do a tribute film to the man. Part documentary, part short stories. That’s why I decided to make Tatsumi because he was such an inspiration to me. In a funny way, it’s like coming full circle.
I want to work with other young filmmakers and collaborate with them; to get them going somewhere. I always wanted Singapore to not just have me as a director.
When I’m creating with my collaborators, we always drink. Somehow at a certain point, things always become crystal clear. When I drink, it’s to create and it’s when I’m happy.
I love toys. I go to Toys “R” Us and pretend to be the good father with my kids, but actually, I’m looking around.
I collect Spiderman stuff. I met Stan Lee in California and I remember when I got into his office and looked around, I was like, “Shit, there’re so many things here I want to steal.”
The first girl I fell in love with was Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s girlfriend, the blonde girl. I was so pissed off as a kid because she dies. She was the love of his life.
When I create a film, I have to fall in love with it.
