In this episode of The Rishi Report, I sit down with writer-director Cheng Chai Hong and cast member Fauzi Azzhar from the local film We Can Save the World to talk about the most Singapore question ever: why make (and release) a movie when cinemas are literally closing down? We get into the full filmmaking pipeline—how a script becomes a shoot, how distribution works, and why the theatre-vs-OTT battle isn’t just about “streaming is convenient”, but about who gets seen, who gets paid, and what kinds of stories get greenlit. We also talk about the harsh reality of OTT platforms for filmmakers, and the lack of SEA representation when global streamers decide what’s “marketable”. Fauzi shares what it feels like being part of a project like this, and we debate whether a Singapore story can travel internationally without sanding off all the local flavour. Then we go into the spicy stuff: government funding, why you can’t depend on it, the chilling effect, and what a “Singaporean New Wave” could look like if we stop insisting local films must look a certain way. If you care about Singapore cinema, this is the honest, unglamorous, still-hopeful conversation you’re looking for.