The local film '1965' has been garnering quite a lot of buzz for the past few months. Starring Qi Yuwu, Joanne Peh, James Seah, Deanna Yusoff and Lim Kay Tong, the film made its gala premiere at the Capitol Theatre last Tuesday.
1965 is a movie based on historical events that happened in Singapore but mainly touches on racial harmony and the fragility of it. Here are 8 things you probably didn't know about the film!
(Watch the trailer of '1965' here!)
1. Five years in the Making
Executive producer and co-director of ‘1965’, Daniel Yun took five years to finally start the production on his passion project. The long wait was mainly because Yun was ‘not comfortable with the script’, until about two years ago when it finally had a strong premise.
During that period of time, there were more than 100 revisions before he settled on the final draft. (Read more here!)
2. 1965 was not planned to be part of SG50
Since the conception of the film was way before the year-long slogan ‘SG50’ came about, 1965 wasn't planned for a release in 2015 but because of script issues, Daniel Yun and his creative team had to pushed back its release a few years. We think this film is very fitting for a SG50 year, doesn't it?
3. Cameo appearances
Be sure to stay on for the credits roll to catch some cameo appearances from guest celebrities and even ministers, including local musicians Lee Wei Song and Lee Si Song, and filmmaker Jack Neo!
4. Entire Set of 1965 was Built from Scratch
One of the main highlights of 1965 is the authentic set that transports viewers back to the 1960s. From the streets of Chinatown to the interior of kampong houses, nearly everything you see in the film were built from scratch. The set design team took months to recreate the various set pieces and props, not forgetting the tons of research invested in it.
Filming took place in Batam, with a few key scenes in Singapore, including a touching tribute at the end of the movie.
A quick comparison of Singapore then and now:
Then/Now
5. Sezairi’s Surprise Marriage Proposal on Set
Nothing beats a sweet marriage proposal. Last December, first-time actor Sezairi popped the question to his girlfriend of six years with a surprise proposal on set in Batam. Awwww... What a lovely couple!
6. Joanne Peh found out about Pregnancy During Filming
Mom-to-be Joanne Peh found out about her pregnancy during mid-production of the film. Luckily for Peh and her baby, most of the intensive and emotionally-demanding scenes were filmed before she knew about her pregnancy.
“I may not able to do what I did if I knew that I was expecting. The outcome may be different,” Peh shared. (Read more here!)
7. Five Actors were Considered for the Role of Mr Lee Kuan Yew
There are not many actors that are able to play a prominent figure like Mr Lee Kuan Yew. A total of five actors were considered for the role, but it eventually went to theatre veteran Lim Kay Tong. Lim initially rejected the role when he was approached by Yun, but decided to give it a go after reading the script.
When it was announced that Lim was going to play Singapore’s founding father, many people agreed with the casting and felt that Lim was a suitable candidate for the film.
8. Soundtrack Features Music from Sezairi and Gentle Bones
Homegrown musicians Sezairi and Gentle Bones (Joel Tan) both composed an original song for the film, titled ‘Selamat Pagi’ and ’Sixty Five’ respectively. Tan’s ballad even hit the #1 spot of iTunes Singapore within 24 hours of its release.
1965 is now showing InCinemas!