"Kallang Roar e movie"
strives to rekindle the glory of football of yesteryears.
As Director Cheng
Ding An's first feature film, the movie is based on ‘Uncle' Choo
Seng Quee's story. It depicts the hardships and challenges that the then
members of the National team faced, as they struggle to juggle their
full- time jobs while keeping up with the demands of the tough soccer
trainings they had to attend.
The saying, "We reap what we sow"
is well-known among people today, but it is the 1977 national team who
have truly exposited this famous saying, as they strived to do their
nation proud despite the challenges they faced.
Through drama and emotions,
the director draws us into the world of these players, from the view
of the younger generation who may never face such uphill tasks
in their lives today.
hooked finds out more from the director himself!
Many of us have heard of the
Kallang Roar and perhaps, we have all heard that the Kallang Roar was
the epitome of the heyday of Singapore's Soccer. It was a passion that was aroused within every Singaporean as they packed the Kallang
Stadium (where all soccer matches were played then) every weekend, fervently cheering for their favourites such as Dollah Kassim and Quah
Kim Song.
With every loss, they were disenchanted, clutching to their seats
in disbelief, hands thrown up in despair, and even wept. Yet with every goal scored, the fans were jubilant, screaming their
hearts out, and the Kallang Roar that was materialised then, became the quintessence of the Singaporean Identity that
we are looking for today.
 It was this passion that
drove the director to make this film. Cheng Ding An believed that with
the film-making skills he has acquired from Curtin University, he should
employ these skills on his love - soccer, which is notably a result
of being fazed by his first experience of the Kallang Roar, watching Fandi
Ahmad in action.
He believed that whatever skills he is equipped with,
he can only find meaning in his work through the application of these
skills on his passion. A result of extensive research, spanning over
a period of three years and through interviews with every player of
the '77 national team, Cheng Ding An's very first local soccer movie is thus born.
The Kallang Roar was something
that united all Singaporeans, and with this movie, he hopes to draw on its
legendary nature to re-ignite the local soccer fever within every Singaporean
today. Through this film, the director aimed not only to honor these
men who won the football cup after twelve years, but also to tell a story
that goes beyond the game of football - a story about dedication,
spirit and unity.
Perhaps, it is just what we need, to bring the passion
back into the local soccer scene today.
Hooked got an exclusive interview
with Mr Cheng Ding An, as we seek to get a clearer understanding of the
man who decided to make football the subject of his first film, despite the existing stigma that sports film are generally not well-received in Singapore.
Hooked: You have mentioned
that the biggest inspiration for you in making this film was the desire
to tell ‘Uncle' Choo's story. What do you hope to achieve by making
his story known?
Well, the thing with legends
is that they often draw interests and thus, I hope to draw on the mythology
of these local soccer legends who have followed their hearts and brought the
Kallang spirit back through the film.
Hooked: Do you think the football
players today have the potential to achieve the glory as these men did?
They definitely have
the potential to achieve but what they lack is patience.
The players
are well-cared for and even well-paid today. They even have access
to some of the best training facilities but the lack of performance
is perhaps, the result of the expectations of them to achieve immediate
success due to the availability of all these resources.
This immense
pressure, together with high expectations, has a detrimental effect on
them, making them lose sight of what they want to achieve. Success is not
without hard work. In addition, unity and team spirit are also lacking
immeasurably among the players today as the monetary provisions cause
them to strive for personal glory, instead of working together as a team.
Moreover, Singaporeans are quick to dismiss local soccer today and it
is disheartening for the players to be met with such apathy.
Hooked: Tell us about some
of the challenges you faced while shooting the film and (the difficulties) with attracting
a variety of viewers.
Well firstly, the biggest
challenge during production had to be shooting scenes with fifty thousand
spectators cheering on the match. It was really difficult because
it was impossible to get so many people at a stadium, and we had to
resort to using special effects.
Also, we were working with tight budgets
and couldn't do a lot that we'd like to. We were trying to make
the best with what we have.
As for attracting a wider range
of audiences, we are actually targeting families. That includes
the soccer crazy, as well as people who have heard about but never experienced
the Kallang Roar. This is a younger perception of the Kallang Roar, which will relate to the youths as well.
 Hooked: So what do you think
about other soccer movies such as Goal and Bend it Like Beckham? How
is your film different from these?
I love football films.
I think sports films are underrated, and I honestly would encourage
people to make sport films.
I don't look at these other films as competition.
The fact is that we have a small budget and can't match some of these
big budget films. Movies like Goal are typical Hollywood feel-good
linear stories, whereas the Kallang Roar is the portrayal of the heart
and sweat that went into the pursuit of what one strongly believes in,
of one's passion.
It is also more specific to Singapore and therefore,
more likely to strike a chord with the audience. Naturally though, we
have focused more on the drama, to offset our lower budget. Yet, it
is without a doubt that the spirit of the national team has been well-captured
within the film.
Hooked: What would you say if
you had to come up with a one-liner to capture the essence
of your film and encourage people to watch it?
Passion is nothing without
sacrifice. hooked
Photography by Peh Guo Qi of the NUSSU Video and Photographic Society
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