SINGAPORE — Director Jack Neo revealed he couldn’t find a reason not to embark on his latest film Long Long Time Ago.

As the 55-year-old who was born in 1960 reiterated in his director’s statement:“I am the only director to have witnessed Singapore’s hard-earned progress since independence. As a director-scriptwriter who followed Singapore through the years, I feel it is my responsibility to keep a record of Singapore’s past 50 years for future reflection.”

A self-professed “labour of love”, Neo’s Long Long Time Ago is a two-part period film that looks at Singapore’s post-independence struggle of racial riots, social unrest and gang activities through the trials and tribulations of a Chinese family living in a kampung. The film takes place over a period of 10 years from the mid-1960s to the 1970s and stars Neo’s long-time collaborator Mark Lee, veteran Mediacorp actress Aileen Tan, comedian Suhaimi Yusof and getai entertainer Wang Lei. Tan plays Zhao Di, a widow who makes an unwelcomed return to her patriarchal family with her children. Lee is her outspoken brother Ah Kun, while Wang Lei plays her father.

In typical Neo fashion, the first part of Long Long Time Ago will open next week in time for the Chinese New Year celebrations, while the second is scheduled to be released on March 31.

Both parts were shot over 60 days on location in Ipoh’s Kampung Cina Pusing and Singapore on a budget of S$5million.

With a cinematic backdrop of real life socio-political issues and characters who openly speak up about their disgruntlement with the Government, are Neo and his cast worried about their kampung story being too vociferous?

“To be honest, for every generation, there will be always be some people who don’t agree with the Government’s view. Whether it was back in the 1960s or now, the situation is the same. The things Mark Lee’s opinionated character brings up in the film, in essence, were amassed from the historical research we did. Back then, people were always questioning things like ‘Should we become Singaporean or become Malaysian?’” explained Neo. “His character makes all kinds of noise! But do you realise that with this group of people, they complain or shoot their mouths off, but when you ask them exactly what they want, they don’t know.”

And what say of Lee, whose character personifies this very disgruntlement? Is he worried about treading on sensitive lines?

“This is why I apply for immigration for every country I visit,” he quipped with a laugh.

“Speaking seriously, no I’m not worried. For those of us who grew up living in the kampung, it was always common to hear our elders complain about the Government.That’s the reality. Even now, there are still people who complain — except it’s now on the Internet. The dialogue is from the extensive research that we’ve done. What is in the film is a reflection of what went on during those times, not a reflection of the personal beliefs of the director or the cast and crew.”

Long Long Time Ago opens in Singapore on Feb 4