It's A Wonderful Life

Before the premiere of the movie inspired by his teenage years, singer, composer and now first-time director Dick Lee talks to Zara Zhuang about how far he’s come.

- Zara Zhuang

“Fried Rice Paradise Nasi Goreng very nice That’s her speciality Ninety-nine varieties”

THIS EARWORM HAS returned (and if the chorus is now stuck in your head, you’re welcome). The quirky tune from 1986 about a down and-out but shrewd restaurateur has been remade with a full music video, but instead of its composer and original singer, Dick Lee, fronting the four-minute clip, we see Benjamin Kheng, the singer–keyboardist–guitarist of local band The Sam Willows, portraying the Singapore music icon as a teen — bowl cut, thick plastic rimmed glasses, 1970s wide-collar printed shirts and all.

Kheng also spends a full 95 minutes playing Lee on the silver screen. In Wonder Boy, which premieres August 3, we are brought back to the beginning for an almost-firsthand look at events that led up to Lee’s first album, Life Story (1974), in all the era’s sepia-toned glory.

This time, Lee stayed behind the camera for his directorial debut. “It’s so late in my career, but it’s never too late,” says Lee, who turns 61 on August 24. He has spent decades as a prolific singer, songwriter, composer, playwright, designer and fashionista extraordinaire, but to make up for his lack of familiarity with movie-making, Lee invited Daniel Yam to be his co-director (it was Yam who insisted on backup takes, which Lee would later concede its wisdom).

“Everyone told me before I started that I was going to hate the long filming schedule,” Lee says of the 18 days spent shooting in Penang. “It was gruelling, but it was really enjoyable, so I didn’t feel it was tough. Filming in Penang was amazing, because Penang laksa was a daily [meal],” he laughs.