BY
DHYANA PRAYASCITTA

Editor

Hype Issue #80

Published on:

Dec 22

2025

DHYANA PRAYASCITTA explores how local authors and filmmakers use their craft to welcome conversations on emotionally challenging topics among youths

Long before Charlie Chaplin made people laugh on a black-and-white screen, and George Orwell called a pig a communist, storytelling was already known to be a universal balm. It brought people together and fulfilled our need for community, entertainment and emotional solace. It is no wonder then, that in a society where tough emotions are frequently suppressed or encouraged to be hidden, many turn to stories. In recent years, a new wave of local storytellers have been using their craft to shine light on taboo or heavy topics. They prove that although some emotions may be difficult to rationalise, they can still be experienced and accepted in a deeply human way.

Touching on the “Taboo” in Films

Singapore, as we know it, prides itself on its blend of conservatism and modernity. But like any other Asian country, these characteristics, at times, harbour the weight of untold stories – many of which are important to tell. Jessica Heng, a young filmmaker, hopes to change this narrative. The production of two of her films, Baby Boy and Breaking News, shed light on the plight of teenage pregnancy and the struggles of young people stuck at the margins. Both films were screened at a few acclaimed Southeast Asian film festivals, as well as at The Projector, a former indie movie theatre in Singapore. 

Ms Heng, who started making films during her final year at university, said she “stumbled into the social justice space”. Baby Boy was born through an acquaintance with a social worker who worked closely with a group of boys – one of whom was 17 years old and about to be a father in two months. Her other film, Breaking News, tells the story of a pregnant 18-year-old torn between keeping her unborn child or following through with an abortion. Ms Heng’s films made room for audiences to understand the struggles faced by youths at risk, a community that is often visible, yet seldom truly understood.

  “A lot of times these topics can be heavily sensationalised in the media,” Ms Heng shared. “It is crucial that filmmakers try to understand the entire network of influences that affect these youths.”

Ms Heng used the success of her first film as fuel to explore more needs at the community level, with her craft becoming a mirror for viewers to come face-to-face with uncomfortable but important issues. For youths, conversations on “taboo” or emotional topics through the lens of film evoke a sense of empathy and help those in similar situations feel a little less alone. 

“But as storytellers, if you have that one opportunity, that one voice and that one art piece to present, then I think it is finding that nuance and being responsible and truthful with what you want to put out and who you want to represent,” Ms Heng said. 

Photo Credit: Jessica Heng

The Portrayal of Grief in Books

  For young Singaporeans, the need for healthy discussion on “taboo” or emotionally tough subjects did not manifest overnight. Cultural and social norms may discourage such conversations, but they should not get in the way of shedding light on such topics. There was a growth in literature which touched on stigmatised mental health topics between the 1990s to the early 2000s to address this issue. However, the production of such books was mainly aimed at an older audience. In fact, most young people did not grow up with such material at all. Quek Hong Shin, a children’s author and illustrator, hopes to fill that gap for the coming generation of young adults through his books. After Mr Quek’s grandmother passed away when he was 18, he found himself struggling to process his grief. 

   “Nobody taught me how to deal with it,” Mr Quek shared. “I wish it had been addressed earlier in my life that it’s okay to cry, it’s okay to expect that the end of your life will be somewhere down the road.” This event inspired his book Chou Chou, a picture book depicting the loss of a family member. Mr Quek also went on to write and illustrate other books with themes that revolved around grief in friendships, family, and everyday life with the hope that the current generation will grow into young adults who are capable of understanding and accepting difficult but nevertheless human emotions.

A page from the book “Chou Chou” (Photo credits: Quek Hong Shin)

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Although representations of grief in books for young audiences might come across as jarring, the concept is much more necessary than we believe it to be. According to the International Journal of Science, literature in fact offers a powerful lens through which issues related to emotional wellbeing are explored, understood and represented.

 “Topics that will be relevant to any era, any generation, are things like friendship, family, loss, grief, and how to deal with emotions like that,” shared Mr Quek. “These will always be timeless and relevant until the day the robots take over.”

Stories to Bring People Together

The deck of cards life hands us may not always be the prettiest, but amidst it all, it is a relief to know we can find solace in films and books that help us navigate the internal and external turbulences we face in life. These local storytellers use their craft to give young people the language to understand complex issues and build an avenue for honest and raw discussions. Through these mediums, people are better able to break stigmas and challenge the roughness around them. In these moments of shared recognition, storytelling does not act as just a salve for the matters of the heart, but a tool to bring people together. If you’re interested in this cause and curious to where their storytelling goes next, you can find them at @quekie on Instagram and Jessica Heng on Letterboxd.