SINGAPORE, Oct 14 – Viddsee, in collaboration with Gov.sg, has launched the ‘As One’ initiative in conjunction with Public Service Week 2020. It is led by a series of four docu- dramas that reveals how public officers and Singaporeans worked closely together to help communities and businesses, save jobs, and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The films are directed by four local filmmakers:

• Tariq Mansor, an industrious filmmaker who also manages the local production company, Cutscene

  • Jonathan Choo, named Best Director at the National Youth Film Awards in 2016
  • Ellie Ngim, an award-winning film and TV commercials director who was nominated Directing Fellow at the Busan Asian Film Academy in 2015
  • K. Rajagopal, an award-winning filmmaker known for films such as ‘A Yellow Bird’, which premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

All the films can be viewed on online on Viddsee’s and Gov.sg’s official platforms.

Directors' photos and more stills can be found on: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1ZCDQAwPHUZCQcDSTjjUYvTS3ZPFbaQCV

FILM SYNOPSES

Enjoy your Stay
Directed by Tariq Mansor
‘Enjoy Your Stay’ highlights the role of a Singapore Tourism Board (STB) officer who worked closely with hotels to enable their conversion into Stay-Home Notice Dedicated Facilities. This allowed overseas Singaporeans to return home safely. The officer and her team also provided assistance to those serving out their SHNs.

Making the Call
Directed by Jonathan Choo
‘Making The Call’ spotlights the inspiring story of how a team of public officers from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and other public agencies, came together with volunteer psychologists, counsellors, and social workers from the private and community sectors to set up the National CARE Hotline at short notice. The hotline helps individuals cope with the emotional and psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Open for Business
Directed by Ellie Ngim
‘Open For Business’ delves into the considerations that gave rise to the SafeEntry system. The team from GovTech worked closely with businesses to create the system that has enabled Singapore to reopen its economy safely and save jobs.

In Safe Hands
Directed by K Rajagopal
‘In Safe Hands’ follows the journey of two Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers who worked closely together with other agencies and NGOs, to care for the wellbeing of resident migrant workers at the dormitories, allowing them to return to work safely.

THE ‘AS ONE’ INITIATIVE
The idea was sparked when Mr Derek Tan, co-founder of Viddsee, was particularly stirred by stories of public officers and Singaporeans working together to support businesses and communities, and to curb the spread of the virus.

“A great story can inspire us to achieve great things,” he said. “We didn’t want these stories to just fade away, so we sought Gov.sg’s collaboration to bring them to life together with some of Singapore’s most talented filmmakers. We hope that ‘As One’ will serve as a reminder and a rallying call for people to uplift each other.”

Ms Soffy Hariyanti, Director, Campaigns & Productions Department of MCI’s Public Communications Division said, “ ‘As One’ showcases the breadth of work by our public officers during the COVID-19 crisis – from policy planning to stakeholder engagement and social assistance – and working hand in hand with fellow Singaporeans and various communities as one. I hope that viewers can draw inspiration from these films and know that we can overcome this unprecedented adversity when we stand together.”

A PERSONAL SHOW OF SUPPORT
As part of the series, we have also put together a video that features both public officers and members of the public sharing their thoughts, experiences and inspirations as Singapore forges on past the pandemic. This video will be made available for viewing on Viddsee’s and Gov.sg’s platforms in the coming week.

In addition, Viddsee will be spearheading ‘Through Your Lens’, a social media drive, for Singaporeans to share their personal journeys and show their appreciation for the people who have helped them through the pandemic.

The public can participate by uploading four memorable pictures and tagging people who:

1)  have helped them overcome a challenge;
2)  have served as invisible heroes;
3)  have earned their respect in 2020;
4)  will motivate them till the end of 2020

About Viddsee
Viddsee is a leading video entertainment platform for short premium content. With over 1 billion views powered by data insights and a trusted community, we empower storytellers by enabling the creation of films and amplifying stories to targeted audiences.

For media queries and interview opportunities, please contact: John Lim john@viddsee.com