The cinematic landscape of Southeast Asia has often explored the shadows of the human experience through tension and genre. For producer Daniel Yun—a figure synonymous with the region’s high-octane exports like the chilling The Eye and the gritty police espionage of Infernal Affairs II—his latest project represents a departure from genre thrills into the deeply personal territory of the human mind.

A Singapore Dementia Story, a five-film anthology, held its closed-door premiere earlier this year. Presented by the Lien Foundation and Dementia Singapore, the project serves as a creative intervention against the social stigma of memory loss, translating clinical case studies from Dementia Singapore clients into evocative storytelling.

The anthology: five lenses on memory

At the heart of the project are five distinct short films, each tackling the condition through a different cinematic lens. These stories move beyond simple tragedy to explore the nuances of love, pride, and the surreal nature of forgetfulness.

Directed by Gavin Lim, the drama Another Go features veteran actress Tan Kheng Hua (Crazy Rich Asians) and her real-life daughter Lim Shi-An. Based on a real-life couple, the story follows Georgia (Tan) and her devoted husband Leon (Peter Yu). It is a raw, day-to-day look at how young-onset dementia erodes a lifelong bond, examining the heavy toll on a spouse before a sudden medical revelation changes their perspective on the future.

What Day Is It?, the directorial debut of Andie Chen, is a heartwarming romance that stars Alaric Tay and Oon Shu An. It captures a couple’s life in the city, where playful jabs and bakery-scented memories slowly give way to John's increasing forgetfulness. The film balances shattering confrontations with humor, and proves that devotion can exist even when the tides of memory turn.

Director Jenny Ng brings a lighter but no less emotional touch to the story of Alvin in the drama-comedy Really?. Alvin is a filial son who seemingly quits his job to care for his elderly mother. Set within the warmth of their small home, the film uses humor to observe their affectionate rhythm, but masks the unspoken undercurrent of worry and the subtle ways they begin to care for one another as their roles shift.

In a technical first for Singapore, director Raymus Chang utilizes AI-generated visuals for the animated short Two Ways to Forget. The comedy-drama portrays the fractured internal landscapes of its protagonists. The film juxtaposes Adrian, a lawyer attempting to manage his symptoms through strict discipline (voiced by Bernard Lim), with Teck Soon (voiced by Suhaimi Yusof), who uses an upbeat, bold exterior to hide his deterioration. Their paths eventually cross in a support group where their carefully constructed façades begin to crumble.

The Last Thread, directed by Viknesh Saravaran, is a psychological thriller that stars A. Panneeirchelvam as a retired soldier. His struggle with dementia spirals into a struggle with past remorse and sorrow, sparked by a domestic milestone that his mind refuses to let go. It provides a visceral look at the disorientation that remains when the mind begins to unravel.

Advocacy

For Dementia Singapore, these films turn clinical case studies into lived, human narratives. By moving away from a conventional advocacy tone and embracing authentic, sometimes uncomfortable storytelling, Daniel Yun has created a work that demands genuine engagement.

The full anthology can be viewed on the Dementia Singapore YouTube channel for free, or through the curated playlist at DementiaHub.SG.