Paper Boats
Two estranged brothers spend one rainy evening in a void deck they grew up under.
Paper Boats is the smallest film I have made and the one I am proudest of. The entire story happens in one void deck during a thunderstorm, between two brothers who have not spoken in years. There are no flashbacks, no music until the final minute, and no easy reconciliation — only the awkward, circling way real apologies actually happen.
I shot it handheld and close, so the audience is never given the comfort of distance. We rehearsed for three weeks before a single frame was filmed, because a film like this lives entirely in timing and silence. When it works, you forget you are watching actors at all.
I show this film to brands who think emotion needs a big budget. It cost almost nothing and it still makes people cry. The craft is in what you choose to leave out.
What this engagement included
- Extended rehearsal to lock performance and timing
- Single-location handheld photography
- Minimal, late-entry score by a Singapore composer
- Tight dramatic edit with a sound-first mix
- Festival-ready master and trailer
