7 Letters: G.P.S.

A little personal story from my experience in working on Kelvin Tong's story in "7 Letters".

I embarked on if thinking it was going to be another SG50 shoot; I read the script and thought that is is a typical feel good story. So off we went to Pekan Nanas, Johor, where we spent 2 days shooting at a Chinese cemetery. The sun on both days seemed to work overtime and although we were under tents, the heat was relentless. 

Being a location sound recordist, my job was simply to record the dialogue and other on-site sounds that may be used in the final mix. I read the script and thought it was a nice little story and I always love to think that I am a part of the storytelling process. Day one ended with a little Karaoke party as we braced ourselves for the next day. 

The second day started in the same way as the first. And I was looking forward to wrap time when the sun was doing it's usual work. However something magical happened when we shot the last scene. I have read the script but was not prepared by the way the actors delivered them. I read it in English but the dialogues were in Hokkien. I read some feedback that some people cried or shed tears when they saw the ending at the premiere weekend, but I teared on-site when they did the scene! At the wrap party recently, I spoke to Michael Zaw who was the man behind the lens for the film, I found out I wasn't the only one. It confirms my suspicion that real men do cry.