Summary:
- Sisters Ong Shi Chi, 73, and Kendra Ong, 70, created and starred in Active Living, Stronger with Every Step, a short film celebrating purposeful ageing, which won Best Film at RSVP Singapore's inaugural senior filmmaking competition.
- The competition featured six senior-produced films developed over six months of training, guided by filmmaker Chang Swee Wah, and explored themes of intergenerational bonds, lifelong learning, and community spirit for Singapore's 60th anniversary.
- The event highlighted seniors' creativity and digital empowerment, with leaders praising participants for proving that ageing can be a time of contribution, growth, and storytelling rather than decline.
Before this year, 73-year-old Ong Shi Chi and her younger sister Kendra Ong, 70, had next to “zero experience” using their smartphone cameras aside from “snapping simple videos” – let alone acting and even dancing onscreen for a short film competition.
But that didn’t stop them from writing, producing, shooting and even starring in their own original short film titled Active Living, Stronger with Every Step.
The four-minute mini-documentary centred around their daily routines as retirees “actively finding ways to meaningfully age”.
This ranged from volunteering and exercising to learning magic tricks and doing viral TikTok dances to impress their grandkids.
"We are not spending our time actively growing old!"
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A short film competition for seniors
Credit: RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers
Their short film ended up clinching the Best Film Award at RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers‘ inaugural senior filmmaking competition, while the sisters jointly scored the Best Actress accolade as well.
It was screened along with five other senior-made films to a crowd of over 250 people at the non-profit organisation’s charity dinner which took place last month on 24 October.
Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower, Dr Koh Poh Koon, attended the event as guest of honour.
The six short films were a culmination of around six months of training, ideation, and execution.
It was longtime RSVP member and filmmaker Chang Swee Wah who initially kickstarted the participants’ journeys with a four-session filmmaking crash course.
During the sessions, he covered everything from pre-production basics and scriptwriting to essential camera skills and more.
Looking back on the seniors’ journeys, the 71-year-old says he is “beyond proud and simply ecstatic” with the movies on premiere night.
The troop initially started with around 30 seniors in February this year, though that number slowly whittled down to 15 by the time it came for final video submissions in June.
The end result were six films that were themed around intergenerational bonds, lifelong learning, and community spirit, in line with the spirit of SG60, Singapore’s own diamond jubilee.
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Taking on filmmaking and acting
Credit: RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers
Another short film, Built for Generations, Together for the Future, similarly swept two awards including runner-up for best film and best actor for Teo Chin Seng.
The 74-year-old starred as a senior reminiscing over a photo album and his memories of developing Singapore before heading out to enjoy time with his grandson.
In a similar vein, the Ong sisters’ onscreen dancing debut has spurred them to sign up for more public performances with a senior dance troupe at an active ageing centre.
"Every day, our senior volunteers teach digital skills, mentor students, befriend seniors in their neighbourhoods and bring warmth and wisdom to the communities we serve. They show that ageing is not an end, but a powerful new beginning. Tonight's highlight – our first-ever Senior Film-Making Competition – captures that spirit beautifully."
The films will be progressively released and can be viewed on RSVP Singapore’s social media pages. Stay tuned here.
