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In Singapore, Letchime, an elderly lady clad in a thin pale dress, sits in a chiaroscuro of shadows in her empty, dimly-lit apartment. The television is running in the distance, and yet her eyes fixate elsewhere on the bright golden sky outside. The doorbell rings and Letchime hoists herself up on her crutches, revealing herself to be a left leg amputee. She staggers towards the door and rips it open, revealing her Lion Befriender helper Peck Wei at the door.  Letchimei gestures for Peck Wei to come in, smiling.

 

We cut to inter-titles which indicate that there are 83,000 elderly orphans in Singapore and a conspicuously high elderly suicide rate. Elderly orphans refer to elderly people deprived of familial support. This film revolves around organizations that focus on lifting the spirits of elderly orphans and helping them stay connected to society.

 

Peck Wei is a middle-aged volunteer at Lion Befrienders who supports elderly orphans both physically and mentally. Letchime is one of the few elderly orphans to whom she makes regular visits.

 

Peck Wei sits next to Letchime, patiently walking her through the process of using a smartphone. Letchime scrunches her face in confusion at the bright glare of her smartphone. As Peck Wei guides Letchime with the smartphone, we learn from Peck Wei that a lot of elderly people in Singapore are socially isolated due to digital illiteracy in the Covid era. 

 

In NTUC Health Day Care Center, a group of elderly folks sway their hips to 1950s rock music, donning wigs and colorful accessories. The center supervisor, Lay Yeow, cheers them on with a smile on his face. This is one of the many activities designed to combat senior citizens’ boredom in the Covid age. As we watch the elderly people gyrate wildly to the beat, we learn from Lay Yeow that he is constantly changing up the center’s activities to attract seniors to the center, to better help them find a sense of community.

 

At the center, elderly people partake in dance activities to redeem items from a make-shift shopping corner. After the dance activity, the elderly people make a beeline towards the shopping area. Numerous shelves housing everyday items like biscuits and toiletries surround the room.  The senior citizens rummage through the shelves and stuff biscuits into their tote bags. Lay Yeow tells us that many seniors remain unvaccinated due to medical advisories and health complications, preventing them from going to shopping malls. Therefore, he wants to offer unvaccinated seniors an alternative shopping experience while being able to interact with their peers. Lay Yeow believes that seniors who come to the day-care center will remain engaged during the Covid era and be able to interact with fellow seniors.

 

Another organization that concentrates on senior citizens’ mental health during the Covid age is Wicare Center. In Wicare Center, Nellie Teo, an elderly lady clad in a floral blouse, huddles together with other elderly folks in a circular formation. A psychologist, ‘Jessica’, sits in the center of the circle, chattering animatedly with the elderly folks. Nellie leans forward, intent on listening to the psychologist. We see a conspicuous scar etched on Nellie’s wrist. We learn from Nellie that her husband’s death caused her to be suicidal. Desperate to find an emotional pillar of support, Nellie went to Wicare Center and was relieved to be able to have group sessions with elderly women going through the same circumstances. She was finally part of a community.

 

Once Jessica announces the end of the group session, the elderly women wrap their arms around each other in a group hug – warm smiles playing across their lips.

 

It is the start of a brand new day and the sun slowly emerges from the clouds, painting Letchime’s apartment in a golden hue. Peck Wei is guiding Letchime once more with her smartphone. This time, Letchime’s eyes do not narrow into slits. A triumphant smile etches its way across her face as she manages to install Whatsapp and add contacts to her phone. She thanks Peck Wei repeatedly as tears begin to well in her eyes. She rapidly taps on her phone screen to video-call her friend named ‘Jasmine’. Jasmine clasps her hands over her mouth at the sight of Letchime, before waving ebulliently at Letchime.

 

The film closes with a montage of Nellie interacting with her Wicare peers and the elderly people at the day-care center dancing.

 

This 24 minute long film will be shot in HD video and set in Singapore with the intent on reaching a regional audience of all ages. Cinema verité footage of the characters in the film will include their voice-overs and be spliced with interview segments. This film aims to highlight the struggles of our pioneer generation and the noble attempts from others to help them.