BIRTHMARK

TitleBIRTHMARK
BrandMINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION, SINGAPORE
Product / ServiceGOVERNMENT – FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
CategoryB07. Not-for-profit / Charity / Government
EntrantBLKJ Singapore, SINGAPORE
Idea Creation BLKJ Singapore, SINGAPORE
Production BLKJ Singapore, SINGAPORE

Credits

Name Company Position
Joji Jacob BLKJ Creative / Co-Founder
Lester Lee BLKJ Creative / Co-Founder
Khalid Osman BLKJ Creative / Co-Founder
Rowena Bhagchandani BLKJ Chief Executive Officer / Co-Founder
Michael Chin BLKJ Associate Creative Director
Joseph Chan BLKJ Associate Creative Director
Melissa Law BLKJ Account Director
K Cheng BLKJ Production Lead
Roslee Yusof Freeflow Productions Director
Jill Soong Freeflow Productions Executive Producer

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

This is a story about a father and a son who share an identical facial birthmark. At first, the birthmark brings the son great joy. It binds him tightly to his dad and sets the tone for a magical friendship. But as the son grows older, he struggles to find his place. The harsh, judgmental gaze of the world begins to leave its mark on him – and on his relationship with his father. What was once a source of pride soon becomes a source of resentment. Dad is faced with a difficult decision. To tell, or not to tell?

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Unlike parents in Western societies, Singaporean parents have never been the most upfront when it comes to expressing their love. They will never say, "I love you", but their actions speak much louder than their words. This film is a tribute by the Singapore Government to the selfless but quiet love of Singaporean parents – especially those who gave everything to build their families during the early post-independence years. It was released during Chinese New Year, a time when families gather together and children pay their respects to their parents and grandparents.

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