Winning Film Delivers Poignant Message on Organ Donation

16 Mar 2011

A subtle but powerful film that depicts the agony of patients on the waiting list for organ transplant has clinched the top spot in the Live On Film Competition.

2  Produced by a team of two aspiring filmmakers from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National Institute of Education (NIE), the winning film “Boy” revolves around the friendship that develops between two boys, one of whom was waiting for a heart transplant. Instead of a ‘happy ending’ which is usually expected, the heart patient dies before a suitable heart is found. Losing a friend, the other character is left with pain and helplessness. The film not only reflects the stark reality faced by patients on the waiting list, but also the pain of those around them. It leaves  audience with the simple but poignant message of supporting organ donation and not leaving behind the people we care about.

3 Organised by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Live On Film Competition was launched in May 2010 to encourage youths to use film as a medium to capture the importance of human organ donation and its ability to save lives. The competition also aims to increase understanding of organ donation among young Singaporeans.

4  “Boy” is selected from more than 60 entries from secondary schools, junior colleges, universities and young working adults, by a panel of judges comprising acclaimed film maker Royston Tan, film director Boi Kwong, award winning writer Liam Yeo, renowned music producer Eric Ng, and the Director of Corporate Communications Division in MOH, Karen Tan.

5 “The story tellingly reveals the pain and hope of patients on the waiting list for an organ,” said Ms Karen Tan. “It reflects the reality of the situation – some patients will die waiting, simply because there aren’t enough available organs. Despite their young age, the team was able to relate to the importance of saving lives and understand the significance of it.”

6  ““Boy” is a beautiful, mature execution of storytelling without being overdramatic,” said Royston Tan. “It provides a fresh slant on how we view the sensitive issue of organ donation, and has the ability to move its audience with the seriousness of the subject matter but balances this with some light heartedness - not an easy task….Watching the film I’m reminded of how I started making my films. The first film may not be the most perfect one, but it’s definitely the most honest one, and that’s the beauty of it.”

7  For the winning film making duo, Ginny Choo and Ng Yiqin, taking part in the competition is an enriching experience which led them to explore an unfamiliar topic.

8  “From script to execution to screen, we found the film evolving in a direction we never expected,” said Ginny Choo. “Everything flowed in a very organic way as we discussed the film's direction with our teamates and our mentors.  In a way, this film is like our baby because we watched it grow, change and become what it is today.  We hope our audience walks away from this film with a new perspective about organ donation and what it means for our characters; to the one left behind, to the friend who has to do the walking away.”

9  Since its launch last year, the Live On Film Competition which is opened to all aspiring young film makers aged between 15 and 25, has reached out to students from more than 160 schools,  and given them a chance to express their views and unique perspectives on  an  emotional topic.

10  “The youths are a very important group as values and attitudes are instilled from young. Our choice of using a film platform is also in line with the youth community’s affinity towards more novel and interactive mediums outside that of print and TV media…we are heartened that so many young Singaporeans feel strongly about this topic….this is just a first step and we will continue to engage our youths on the topic of organ donation,” said Ms Karen Tan.

11  For the Competition, five top teams were selected for the final video production phase. They were given two months to produce their films, during which every step of their progress and film making journey was captured on the Live On Films Facebook page (www.facebook.com/liveonsg). The participants blogged about their experiences and how through the process of film production, they learnt more about organ donation and how they were impacted.  The winning team will receive  $5,000 in cash.