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"Hentak Kaki" is a locally-made short film about a warrant officer who suffers an injury and is declared unfit …
S’pore Short Film On Army Career Strikes A Nerve
A locally-made short film explores the difficulties faced by men who devote their lives to careers in the army.
Recently released on local video platform Viddsee is Hentak Kaki, which is a Malay phrase for "marching on the spot" -- a military slang term used to refer to a soldier who does not get promoted as he should.
The film tells the story of Second Warrant Officer Lee Teck Hong, who is 38 years old and has spent his entire working life serving in combat roles in the army.
A ligament injury results in him being declared unfit for combat by his medical officer, and after being unable to clear multiple rounds of medical review, Lee is left with a tough choice -- to remain and serve out admin roles or take the brave but risky step of exiting the army and entering the real world.
The 12-minute film, directed and written by James Khoo, won its share of accolades, too, snagging the Best Short Film award at the 24th Singapore International Film Festival Silver Screen Awards, as well as being named Best Performance and nominated for Best Director and Script at Singapore's 3rd Short Film Awards.
Watch the film here:
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