Mark Lee to become opposition politician - in upcoming film Not So Long Time Ago

Who would have thought that we will see the day where local actor Mark Lee creates and heads his own opposition party?

Did we mean it literally? Yes.

Is it real? No.

That's because we'll only see it in Jack Neo's upcoming film, Not So Long Time Ago.

Set in the 1980s, this film is the sequel to his two-part series Long Long Time Ago and follows Ah Kun (played by Mark Lee) and Zhao Di's (Aileen Tan) children navigating the issues of the decade.

In the movie, Ah Kun finds himself getting increasingly dissatisfied with government policies. Instead of just complaining, he decides to form his own opposition political party to right the wrongs that he perceives.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDQHTcLK3pY[/embed]

During the set visit yesterday (April 10) at Sims Drive, Mark, 50, said: "My character has opinions about the government policies and feels that they're unfair to those who are Chinese-educated, and even those who moved from the kampung to the HDB flats."

Of course, Mark understands that these policies were in place for the sake of the country's future, but that's not how Ah Kun sees it.

"(Ah Kun) constantly thinks that the government is taking care of the country's future but not its present. Hence, as someone who comes from the kampung, is uneducated and hot-tempered, he will speak out.

"And since no one is speaking up for this group of people, he decides to do so and sets up the opposition party," Mark explained.

It's quite apparent that Mark is aware that this is a potentially contentious topic - based on his humorous take on it.

He quipped: "I don't know if it was arranged or coincidental, but it just so happened that Jack made me play this role and is putting my career at risk.

"If we're questioned by the authorities, we'll say it's the scriptwriters' fault."

In fact, Mark even cheekily remarked to AsiaOne that he may not be in Singapore for a period of time after the movie is released.

While it may be controversial, Jack isn't shying away from talking about politics as it's part of our history.

For the 59-year-old director who has lived through this period, he sees the 80s as the second half of Singapore's nation-building.

Jack explained: "People had moved from the kampung and settled into the HDB flats, Singapore's economy was on the rise, and the government was very clear on the direction that they wanted to take."

However, what's special about this film is that it aims to flesh out and capture the feelings and thoughts of the people during this period of change.

"The film will explore the people's reaction towards Singapore's political climate and their feelings towards how the government manages the country," he added.

And in case anyone has any doubts about Jack pulling this off, let's remind ourselves of his prowess at creating movies that tug at the heartstrings of viewers.

I Not Stupid, anyone?

In any case, Mark echoed a similar sentiment as he feels that this is an organic development for Ah Kun.

"Taking his personality and the story in consideration, I think this is perfectly logical. He realises that he can't accept the new government policies that are being implemented.

"However, everyone has to because it concerns the future of the country. Yet, this is a concept that he doesn't understand.

"For Ah Kun, the new policies destabilise his life and he is upset. So, he is going to speak up," Mark described.

GENERATIONAL GAP

Not So Long Time Ago explores the social issues and disgruntlement plaguing Singaporeans of the 80s, including events such as the end of Chinese-medium schools.

For the young batch of actors who are playing the children of Ah Kun and Zhao Di, how do they cope with this generational gap?

Malaysia-born heartthrob Danny Lee, who plays Ah Kun's son Yong Xing, said that the costumes and props help to transport them back to the 80s.

The 29-year-old said: "Wearing the costume helps to transport us back to that era and allows us to take on the mindset of that generation.

"We may be more modern in our thinking now, but it doesn't mean they were backward then. They just didn't have the means to do what we do now.

"For example, they loved to play video games then, but instead of Pac-Man, we have handheld games now."

Gesturing towards the block of old flats that they were filming in, Richie Koh agreed.

The 25-year-old local actor, who plays Zhao Di's youngest son Shun Fa, explained that some relics of the past are still around in this day and they help him connect to the material and understand Singapore.

"I was actually quite impressed with the set because it really provides the right mood for you to film. To me, all these small details are very important," he said.

POSSIBLE SEQUEL

With the filming of the third instalment in the franchise underway, does it mean that we'll be able to see another sequel?

After all, it was reported that the future of this franchise would depend on the box office results of the first two films and Not So Long Time Ago seems to herald a new era (pun intended) for the franchise.

When asked, Jack said: "We haven't thought that far ahead. We can only answer this after the movie is released.

"I don't know if the boss would like us to continue with a sequel yet," he laughed.

"It really all depends on the support of the viewers and whether there is a demand to discover this history of Singapore," he added.

Not So Long Time Ago will open in cinemas in November.

bryanlim@asiaone.com