SINGAPORE - Keong and Zaki, two rough sleepers, became firm friends - "brothers" even - after years spent together sleeping on cardboard under a bridge.
After Zaki fell and had to be hospitalised, Keong finally decided to heed the advice of a persistent volunteer to rent a Housing Board flat with his friend.
Their relationship and story are the focus of short film A Bridge, directed by Singaporean film-maker Nicky Loh, who was inspired by a rough sleeper he met as part of film research while with a volunteer from Homeless Hearts of Singapore.
He hopes the film will spur discussion around the complex issue of rough sleepers, whose personal issues are not easily resolved simply by talking to them once or by giving them money.
He said that while rough sleepers can be "invisible" to society, so are the volunteers who engage them, so he aims to shine a light on their efforts.
The film is part of a series of four, titled Singapore Together: A Series Of Short Films, that were launched by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah on Tuesday (July 19).
The roll-out is in conjunction with the third anniversary of the Singapore (SG) Together movement, which began in June 2019.
The movement provides opportunities for Singaporeans to contribute ideas on how they want to shape the country's future in the form of private-public alliances and conversations.
As part of the movement, 35 SG Together Alliances for Action private-public partnerships have been formed, covering areas such as uplifting lower-wage workers and creating sustainable spaces, said Ms Indranee during her speech at the launch at Temasek Shophouse in Dhoby Ghaut.
The film series is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), government agencies and Singaporean film-makers Eysham Ali, Sabrina Poon, Vishali Panch and Loh.
The other films feature the topics of sustainability and lower-wage workers, and each work highlights an initiative that Singaporeans can contribute to.
For example, A Bridge is meant to highlight the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers network.
It was set up in 2019 to address issues faced by rough sleepers such as reconciling with family members, seeking employment and getting financial assistance or longer-term housing.
"For the film, we spoke to various volunteers on the ground to understand the stories behind the work they do, and we tried to make the story not so much about someone saving someone, but more of a character study of why someone would choose to sleep rough," said Mr Loh.
In her speech, Ms Indranee noted that SG Together is the Government's commitment to listen to and engage with Singaporeans, and make partnerships a distinctive feature of its governance approach.
Last month, Forward Singapore was launched to refresh the social compact and set out a road map for the next decade and beyond.
A report from the engagement exercise will be released in the middle of next year.
"Forward SG will demonstrate our continued commitment to collaborative governance," said Ms Indranee, who is one of 19 fourth-generation politicians who will lead the exercise that is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
"We will engage deeply to understand concerns, explore the issues and trade-offs involved, and develop new ways to partner and turn our ideas into joint action," she added.
The four films can be watched on MCCY's social media channels.
