Silencing Singapore

The promotional materials for Solos mention that the film was "inspired by" true events but shy away from specifying that the true events were in fact from your life.The reason is because a lot of it has been fictionalized. It has been exaggerated in some areas, changed in others. I realized it wasn't accurate to say it was my personal life -- it was inspired by collective experiences, like people from my generation.

Let's tackle the relationship between the student and teacher. When did your real-life relationship with this much older man occur?I was 15. It lasted four years. We broke up when I was 19.

Did anyone know about your relationship at the time? And was, or is, there a fear of being caught and punished legally?Nope, no one knew. Yes, being caught and punished is a concern. For him especially. Even now.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge to an intergenerational relationship, legal matters aside? Change. The hardest thing will be the immense changes happening to the younger person as compared to the much more stable, settled life of the older person. You realize that you are not the person you started out the relationship as, and neither is he. I have received a lot of criticism from the gay community for a negative portrayal of gays in the film, but for me at the time, I was looking for the truth in the situation, and that was the truth of it. The boy grew and changed while the man remained stagnant because of the age difference. I've become hopefully more focused and stable in terms of a relationship.