By Germaine Lim

In one scene in local director Glen Goei's new film, The Blue Mansion, the 34-year-old appears totally naked. The film is rated NC16.

In an interview with The New Paper at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), where the film premiered, Emma seemed nonchalant about her nude scene.

She said: "Being naked is not a big issue for me. As an actress, your face and body are your instruments. I'd never do a naked scene if it were gratuitous. In this case, it wasn't. There were no sexual elements. It served a crucial purpose in developing the story.

Complete trust
"I have to trust the director before I agree to such a requirement. And of course, I trust Glen completely because we've worked together for so many years and we're very good friends."

Shot last year in Penang's Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, The Blue Mansion centres on the mysterious death of wealthy tycoon Wee Bak Chuan (veteran Malaysian actor Patrick Teoh).

Emma is Mei Yi, Wee's daughter- in-law and Wee Teck Liang's (Lim Kay Siu) firstwife.

Emma's nude scene makes local cinema history as she is the first professional actress to strip to her birthday suit, Glen told The New Paper.

Director Glen Goei and Emma Yong

Local filmmaker Ekachai Uekrongtham's R21-rated Pleasure Factory (2007), which was about Geylang's streetwalkers, featured a full-frontal male nude scene by actor Loo Zihan.

After Pusan, The Blue Mansion is now showing at the ongoing Tokyo International Film Festival, where it has been nominated for Best Asian/Middle Eastern Film.

It is the only Singaporean film in competition with other Asian countries like China, Korea and Taiwan.

We can't discuss the context of Emma's 30-second nude scene as it represents a crucial plot development in the movie.

But audience members will notice that the lower half of her body will be pixelated for the sake of the NC16 rating.

This is not the first time Emma has bared her skin. In 2006, the thespian went topless for Glen's stage production The Magic Fundoshi. She played a nude statue which came alive.

She admitted The Blue Mansion role is her most daring performance to date, and filming the scene was "quite horrible".

"Physically, Ifelt so vulnerable and exposed. But at the same time, these feelings worked for a tragic story about a mother who couldn't take the pressures of her husband's family."

Emma is also concerned about the reactions of her family and boyfriend, Mr Jerry Lim, when they eventually watch the film.

Her parents did not watch The Magic Fundoshi because "they weren't very pleased" with her appearing topless.

"In the end, they know I take my work seriously. They've always been supportive."

Lingerie scene
Emma is not the only one who is stripping.

Fellow cast member Tan Kheng Hua, who plays Adrian Pang's estranged wife Veronica, is appearing in her lingerie.

While their scenes will remain mostly unedited, one of Adrian's will get the snip.

The 43-year-old filmed a sex scene with theatre actress Chermaine Ang on astaircase.

It was axed for the Singapore version, but the scene is intact for international screenings, like in Pusan and Tokyo.

Adrian's Wee Teck Meng has a rocky marriage with Kheng Hua's Veronica. Chermaine is Hong Mei, Teck Meng's lover.

Even though there is no nudity in the 40-second scene - Adrian and Chermaine were fully-clothed - the scene's sexualised actions were potentially objectionable.

To meet the NC16 rating requirements, Glen said he had to cut the scene, but got to keep Emma's nude scene instead.

Glen explained: "We have to be realistic as well. (Emma is in) a shower scene. You can't possibly go to the bath with your clothes on.

"It would be very difficult for us to remove Emma's topless scene as the nudity is part of the story. It wouldn't be truthful if we left it out."

A gutted Adrian says his scene was significant as it "demonstrated (that) the relationship between Teck Meng and Hong Mei was romantic, not merely physical... a contrast to the husband and wife's non-intimate marriage".

"When they talk after the deed, it's obvious she cares about him. Hong Mei is the only person Teck Meng trusts and talks to. It's also the one moment my hot-tempered character shows his vulnerability."

Adrian says his acting projects in Singapore so far have been rather "chaste".

The only "suggestive" project he has starred in was the stage production of Much Ado About Nothing in May. In the scene where his character had his legs waxed, Adrian appeared to be naked but was actually strategically covered up.

He has done bolder projects in the UK, where he lived in the 1990s. He disrobed for projects like the musical Hair and the film Yellow Fever (1998).

Despite the cuts, the cast say their spirits won't be dampened, especially since The Blue Mansion has been a long time coming - 11 years, to be exact.

Adrian, who was the leading actor in Glen's first film Forever Fever (1998), described the movie as "one of those rare projects that I feel a lot for".

This is the first time Adrian and Glen have worked together since Forever Fever.

And while he would have liked to work with Glen more, Adrian says there was never a right time because he was tied up with TV projects.

Describing the two months spent filming in Penang as a "working holiday", Adrian said: "All of us have known each other for so long. It's basically a group of friends mucking around."

Emma's film debut took more than a decade to materialise.

The right script, coupled with a director and a cast one is comfortable with, are hard to come by, she said.
A wistful Emma said: "I got a bit depressed when we returned from Penang. It was a magical time, especially with a group of people I know well and like very much.

"It was truly a chance of a lifetime. I don't know if such an opportunity to work in such a lovely environment will come by again."

Judging by the PIFF's enthusiastic response a fortnight ago, the efforts of Glen and his cast have paid off.

Tickets for the film's two simultaneous screenings on 10 Oct were sold out. The audience engaged the cast eagerly during a question-and-answer session held after the screenings.

Although the cast were unknowns in kimchi land, starstruck moviegoers rushed forward for their photos and autographs after the movie.

Nervous
Emma said: "We didn't know what to expect. All of us were so nervous before the screening. Glen's and my palms were perspiring profusely." (Adrian was not present due to work commitments.)

Emotions overcame Emma and tears welled up while she watched her fellow actors on the big screen.

"I couldn't cry because I had to meet the audience after the film. So I had to keep tilting my head back to hold my tears.

"To see the audience's responses and how they engaged with the film was just thrilling. It was a head trip."

See also: Photos of Emma Yong's previous productions

This article was first published in The New Paper