Meniti Senja / The Twilight Years by Lily Fu

Freedom Film Fest Singapore is excited to host our panelists at this fringe screening of Meniti Senja (The Twilight Years) on Oct 1, highlighting The International Day for Older Persons. *Language: Bahasa Melayu with English and Mandarin subtitles Reflecting the breakdown of traditional family values in modern Malaysian society that marginalizes the elderly, Meniti Senja explores the alarming rise in the elderly being left to fend for themselves in aged care centers- removed from the comfort of homes they knew and children they raised. Recounting the stories of people who were once mothers, fathers, grandparents – now slowly aging amidst strangers within the walls of a care home in Puchong, this film tells their heart-breaking stories of abuse, exploitation and abandonment. Age eventually catches up with everyone and by 2030, Malaysia’s population >65 will increase to 15%. Are we witnessing our own fates in a not too distant future? From UN website: Over the next three decades, the number of older persons worldwide is projected to more than double, reaching more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050. All regions will see an increase in the size of the older population between 2019 and 2050. The largest increase (312 million) is projected to occur in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, growing from 261 million in 2019 to 573 million in 2050.