Michelle Chong’s ‘Nine Year Itch’
The Hokkien phrase “Huat Ah!” which means “prosperity” and “to strike it rich” is a common refrain at Chinese celebrations of all kinds, especially during the Lunar New Year. But it will hold a very special meaning for Singapore actress Michelle Chong in the Year of the Rabbit – she is going off on a three-month sabbatical mid May to start her own film company, the auspiciously named Huat Films.
And her company’s very first project is a feature film tentatively titled “Yi Pao Er Hong”, a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of Singapore’s entertainment industry. “Yi Pao Er Hong”, which loosely translates into “Shooting to fame with a single soak” is based on a script she wrote a whole nine years ago and will go into production in June.
“After I wrote the script, I became very, very busy – for the next eight, nine years doing television!” said the actress in a phone interview with channelnewsasia.com. “But I think it is time that I do something on my own, so I rewrote the script, updated it … and the more I look at it, the more I think it’s going to be good.”
“You know, when I talk to my producer, the way that we talk about the themes in the movie, it’s already like it’s been shot. If the themes are so memorable, then I think it is worth doing it.”
Interview With NDP’09 Hosts: Michelle Chong: