NDP

They play movie trailers on the MRT advertising screens all the time. Lately they've been showing one full of pomp, soldiers marching, militaristic parades, soaring jet fighters in formation, jubilant mothers holding babies; all to thundering drums and a dramatic choir singing Carmina-Burana-style.

The faces are "pan-asian" and could be anywhere in South East Asia. It looks like a trailer for a docudrama about a totalitarian Asian regime, wealthy and full of promise at the start, but ultimately collapsing leaving ruin everywhere. Perhaps Indonesia, I thought, maybe Cambodia? The faces are too Melayu to be Vietnam.

It concludes with Coming Soon and a few sponsors; looks like a teaser campaign, I figure since theres no mention of the movie title at all.

I'm watching it for the umpteenth time when the words NDP and Marina Bay leap out at me. There are ads for the National Day Parade in August.

At least I got the first part about the plot right.