Kali’s Children
Thesis Documentary by Aszyani Hairoman
2026
As their riverside homes face demolition, the children of Kampung Melayu share their hopes and fears of what’s to come while continuing to live through their everyday lives.
“Working with Ngiam on Kali’s Children was a really smooth and meaningful collaboration. He was friendly, understanding, and very easy to work with, especially knowing we were a group of students working within a limited budget. Despite that, he still gave the project his full effort and attention.
What stood out most was how well he understood the emotional tone I wanted, even when I struggled to explain it clearly myself. I wanted the music to feel innocent and childlike without sounding overly playful, and he captured that feeling beautifully through his use of instruments like the kalimba and layered synth textures.
He was also proactive in suggesting ideas and musical directions that genuinely elevated the film. Fast, reliable, and receptive to feedback, Ngiam brought a lot of care and emotion into the project, and I’m really grateful to have had him as part of the documentary.”
-Aszyani Hairoman, Director & Co-Producer of Kali’s Children