PUBLISHED ONOctober 01, 2026 3:48 AMBYEsther LamUpcoming local film Pace, which centres around a former drug user trying to rebuild his life, may have been described by some as "too positive", but veteran actor Zhu Houren hopes it can shine a light on lives that often go overlooked in Singapore's "comfortable" society.
The 71-year-old and his two sons, director Jonathan Choo and actor Joel Choo, spoke to the media recently ahead of the Oct 8 release of Pace, which stars Desmond Tan in the lead role Malcolm, who looks for purpose in his late brother's passion for running.
Houren plays Kong Sai, Malcolm's resentful and estranged father, who has been hardened by years of disappointment and the emotional toll of his son's addiction. Joel plays Malcolm's younger brother Jing, an "inspirational role" who spurs Malcolm on.
Houren told AsiaOne that he hopes viewers can resonate with and find common ground with Malcolm.
"Singaporeans generally live comfortable lives. We don't often see these things," he said.
"We want people to know that, even within this comfortable society, there are still such groups, and that their lives can still have hope."
He said that the film is not intended to be an educational lecture, but rather to encourage viewers to better understand and reflect on topics that are rarely discussed here.
"We've heard people say, 'This movie doesn't really fit into modern cinema because it's too positive.' Some people think there isn't enough conflict or drama. When I saw my son writing the script, I also had the same feeling," added Houren.
"Maybe this is a moment to look at things from a different perspective of 'You need to listen to what I have to say' rather than catering to (people's) tastes."
Some of the scenes, he said, were also filmed in settings that reflect reality.
He explained that if scenes involving drug abusers were filmed in rundown places, it may give the impression that all drug users are like that.
However, that is not real life and "not everyone does it in such an environment", he pointed out.
Houren also revealed that there were originally more deaths and addiction-related storylines in the film, but they were ultimately removed from the final cut.
He attributed the decision to concerns that those subplots may steal attention away from the main plot and turn the film's meaning into something different from what Jonathan originally wanted.
He said: "Maybe more people would appreciate it, maybe not. But as the director, like Jonathan said earlier, he has his own artistic selfishness, and he has to preserve that."
Jonathan, 37, shared that he first thought of the idea for the film around six or seven years ago and that it was "completely different" back then.
It began as a simple idea about a prodigal son returning which he wrote and set aside. Then two years ago, he decided to revisit and reorganise it.
When we asked him if he would consider releasing a Director's Cut with the deleted scenes, he said he doesn't believe in them.
He said: "This might be the biggest thing I learnt while making this movie, and that is to not blame myself (and ask), 'Why did I shoot this if it wasn't going to be used?' It's no one's fault. Everyone has to accept that it's part of the process."
Beyond its message of hope, the film also made them realise that many people have been affected by similar situations yet rarely talk about those experiences openly.
Jonathan stressed that the film does not portray Malcolm's actions as right but instead aims to help audiences understand Malcolm's worldview.
Echoing his son's sentiments, Houren added: "Malcolm's sense of shame is very heavy, very intense and it constantly follows him. It's a very fragile world.
"A small setback, a small incident, can push him back into that vicious cycle again. That's still the most important point we wanted to bring across."
When we asked the Choo family how it felt working together in the project, Jonathan said there weren't many differences in opinion between them. However, Houren made it clear who held the power.
He said: "Jonathan's in charge, he calls the shots in the film."
Joel, 32, agreed, adding that he trusted his brother was very clear about what he wanted.
He joked that he was "like an idiot and just listened well" on set and did whatever he was told.
Houren also spoke about working with Taiwanese actress Elaine Jin, describing the 71-year-old as candid and "very straightforward" in expressing her views during the film's production.
Elaine plays Sally, Malcolm's quietly perceptive stepmother, who offers him warmth and support despite the strained relationship between him and his father.
He said: "She's very straightforward. She will let you know directly if there is something she's unhappy with."
Houren, who has previously worked with Hong Kong stars Kenneth Tsang and Alex Man, shared that a common trait among them is their tendency to speak bluntly.
However, it is all for the sake of the film.
He said before she left, Elaine had hugged Jonathan and said that she might have been too blunt and frightened the latter.
He added: "She knows it herself, it's not that she doesn't know. But there wasn't really time to explain all these polite formalities (during filming).
"I actually really appreciate that kind of straightforwardness."
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Pace is supported by the Singapore Film Commission and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, through the Media Talent Progression Programme Long Form Content Grant and Yellow Ribbon Project. It also stars local content creators Simonboy and Zaki Hussain and is set for release in local cinemas on Oct 8.
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