Why I Made This Film

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Sometimes being ourselves, disabilities and all, is the greatest form of rebellion. This film was produced, written, directed, made and acted by people with disabilities and it’s the first of it’s kind in Singapore.

 

We didn’t get any grants because our film didn’t meet the existing criteria for grants. It was a film made by a disabled team but the story wasn’t about disability. The disability community, including allies, rallied behind us with donations, assistance and sorely needed encouragement to make this impossible dream come true.

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​I feel that true inclusion means not pigeonholing a disabled cast into films that only revolve around disability. We are more than inspiration porn and a tool to educate society about tolerance and acceptance.

 

Media is powerful because it is ubiquitous. However, disability representation in media, especially for Southeast Asian females, is abysmal and I aim to change that. I chose the horror genre because it has always exploited disability by portraying disability as evil or ugly and I wanted to take back our power.

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I also wanted to create characters with disabilities who are not often seen in film. Laura is morally ambiguous whereas Siti is feisty and adventurous.

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Lastly, I’d like to end off by saying that The Damned Ones was made by a team with disabilities on a shoestring budget. When people watch this film, I hope they can see that it’s not difficult to work with cast and/or crew with disabilities. Accommodations and accessibility need not be expensive or very time-consuming.

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