State of Hush Hush

Christian girl Ru Yi finds herself alone in an empty Singapore… until she meets Aidan, an "ah beng" with an old radio, who doesn’t share any of her beliefs.

  • Yi-Jun Ian
    Director
  • Yi-Jun Ian
    Writer
  • Apple Ong Li Yan
    Producer
  • Liew Jia Yi
    Key Cast
  • Charlie Goh
    Key Cast
  • Kelvin Chew
    Director of Photography
  • Martin Hong
    Editor
  • Farreha Jalil
    Production Design
  • Yang Si Shuo
    VFX
  • Nicholas Chia
    VFX
  • Yeo Shi Yun
    VFX
  • NelsonTYC
    Music/Sound
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    梦想狮城
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 18, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Singapore
  • Country of Filming:
    Singapore
  • Language:
    Chinese, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • National Youth Film Awards 2015
    Singapore
    Singapore
    Nominated for Best Direction and Best Production Design
  • NYC Indie Film Awards 2017
    New York City
    United States
    Won Best Short Film (Diamond Award)
  • Hollywood Film Competition
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    Award Winner
Director Biography - Yi-Jun Ian

Ian graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) in Digital Filmmaking from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media (ADM). His foray in film began with costume and set design, before progressing to Art Director or Production Designer of award-winning student films. In 2013, Ian was an Art Assistant on Meng Ong's feature film, "A Fantastic Ghost Wedding", as part of his industry internship.

From 2014, Ian’s focus shifted to writing and directing, particularly in the drawing from and the fusing of real-life, metaphors and the surreal. The themes in his work include making the familiar unfamiliar, psychological obsessions, and reframing perspectives.
The film courses in ADM put him in good stead, leading to him being shortlisted for MDA's FLY Incubator program for two consecutive years (2013, 2014). Through his Minor in Drama and Performance in NIE, influences from the stage occasionally find themselves in his work, as he is also interested in integrating film and theatrical elements.

Ian is currently a Content Strategist and Digital Content Creator in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE)'s Digital and Video Communications department. He writes, directs and produces a range of film content for all of MSE's socials.

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Director Statement

It is easy to expect others to force-fit themselves into one's belief mould, as well as condemn and be a hate-monger but messages of putting judgment aside in order to understand first are few and far apart. Through the events in the film, we get to explore the lengths at which we can go to in order to affirm belief and identity. We hope that the short film expresses the need for acceptance rather than drawing up lines that will divide and ultimately rob us of getting to know someone or simply enjoying the present.

An empty Singapore serves as an extreme backdrop to explore what we feel are the greatest "what if"s in the lives of many young people: expectations, the search for meaning/purpose and the uncertainties of the future. We don't have the answers but we have an opinion. This short film is our means of expressing it.

Last but certainly not the least, the film is about the people around us: family, relatives, friends, loved ones, acquaintances, even strangers. We've all complained about Singapore being too crowded (remember the 6.9 White Paper outcry?) and feeling tethered to parents, obliged to entertain relatives, or not having enough time to spend with friends. We know and have been guilty of forgetting to appreciate the crucial support systems in our lives. Through the breaking down of an imagined empty Singapore, we hope to remember and appreciate the people that made and make up the nation that we now enjoy.