With less than two months to go before she pops, Joanne Peh glowed with bliss of a mum-to-be at the media update of local film 1965 yesterday. Executive producer and co-director Daniel Yun, director Randy Ang, main cast members Lim Kay Tong and Sezairi Sezali also attended the event held at Shaw Lido.
After five years in the making, 1965 will premiere on July 30 to commemorate Singapore’s 50th birthday. Daniel, however, pointed out that the idea for this project was born way before the term “SG50” even existed. The veteran movie maker also emphasised that the film is not meant to be propagandist, a biopic of the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew (played by Kay Tong) or a documentary.
According to Daniel, 1965 is a dramatic thriller that portrays a turbulent picture of the country’s past which many young Singaporeans only read about in history books. The movie also aims to let viewers have a vicarious experience of the 1960s.
While speaking to the media, Joanne revealed that she found out about her pregnancy halfway through the filming of 1965 in November last year. In the official trailer that was played during the event, the 32-year-old was seen running for her life in one of the riot scenes. “There was a very real fear of tripping and falling because that is one thing I wanted to avoid, especially being in the first trimester [at the time],” she let on.
When asked if her husband Qi Yuwu kept watch over her during the shoot, Joanne replied with a laugh: “He’s not my assistant so he’s not always there.”
Nevertheless, there seems to be another issue that Yuwu is particularly concerned about: Joanne’s footwear. The actress, who was walking around in kitten heels, teasingly shared that her husband was not clued in on her outfit yesterday.
Joanne can’t wait for her baby to be born
In her third trimester now, Joanne admitted that it feels very different as compared to the early stages of pregnancy. “I am finally feeling what it is like to be pregnant. A lot of the weight [on the belly] is starting to come on. It’s getting harder to sleep because I cannot find the optimal position. The baby moves a lot and every movement is bigger now,” she explained.
“I get tired more easily. The not-so-wonderful side of pregnancy is here.”
Although the actress, who has gained about 6kg so far, gets hungry every two hours, her food intake is restricted by her limited stomach space.
“Previously, I said that I want to keep the baby inside because I am enjoying the process so much. But some people told me that when you enter the third trimester, you just can’t wait for the baby to come out. I couldn’t understand but now I do," added Joanne. "Because your belly is getting bigger, there’s lesser room for the baby to move, so every movement is like ‘ouch’. I don’t feel so emotional anymore as well."
Ask Joanne anything but the baby’s gender
Despite the discomfort of the third trimester, Joanne is looking forward to becoming a mother and to experience the life lessons that the child would bring her. As for preparations to welcome their new family member, the couple has booked a confinement nanny through their friends’ recommendation.
“For the first child, it’s good to have an experienced person to help,” said Joanne.
Also, the acclaimed thespian is relieved that the baby’s bed has been settled. “I believe in letting the baby sleep on his/her own after the first few months, so that there wouldn’t be attention issues when a second one comes along,” she thought aloud.
So, the couple already has plans for more kids?
“Well, this pregnancy has been really comforting and relatively easy for me. It hasn’t deterred me from wanting to have more kids. But of course, we have always been [the type who] let nature take its course. We’ll see whether or not it happens,” Joanne straightforwardly replied.
While the parents-to-be have thought of baby names, they certainly do not intend to reveal that yet. In her own words, Joanne does not see any reasons to hold back from talking about her pregnancy as “it is good to share about something positive and happy”. She only has one rule – don’t ask about the baby’s gender.
Joanne, whose contract with MediaCorp expires at the end of the year, is currently discussing new contractual terms with the company. Hoping to strike a balance between work and family, the actress is likely to get more autonomy over the jobs that she takes on in future.
"With every project, there is an opportunity cost in regard to the time spent with my child. [The project] has got to be something that I feel is worthwhile and that inspires or challenges me,” she reiterated.
1965 opens in cinemas on July 30.