SKM traces six degrees of kindness in reversible campaign film

Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) has launched a new short film titled deed as part of its ongoing "Be greater" campaign, inviting Singaporeans to rethink kindness as something that moves beyond a single moment, person or direction.

The film has been released in two versions; one played forward and the other in reverse. Both are designed to stand alone as complete stories, while offering different perspectives on action, consequence and human connection.

Through this reversible format, SKM explores the idea that kindness is non-linear. A single kind act can influence others in ways that are not immediately visible, creating a loop of impact within the community.

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Unlike conventional short films, deed features no audible dialogue or narration. Instead, the story unfolds visually through a sequence of everyday encounters, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions.

At the heart of the film is a palindromic structure, mirroring its title. The forward version traces a chain of kind acts from beginning to end, while the reverse version follows the same chain backwards from its final moments to its origin. Together, the two versions reinforce SKM’s message that kindness has no fixed beginning or end.

The film also draws from the concept of six degrees of separation, with six everyday Singaporeans connected through six quiet choices. A young girl is seen drawing six dots at the beginning of the film, subtly hinting at the six stories to come. By the end, she draws a circle through the dots, symbolising kindness as the connection that binds the characters together.

As the film unfolds, viewers gradually realise how each character is linked. The teacher in the final scene is the same young woman who was helped by a rider. The office worker reconsidering a loan application is connected to the same rider, influenced by the kindness shown to him by a taxi driver. The taxi driver’s father later receives a card written by the little girl, whose teacher is the young woman from the opening sequence.

None of the characters are aware that they are part of a wider chain. None act for recognition. Each simply chooses to do the kinder thing.

The film was conceptualised by SKM and brought to life through its collaboration with Bloomr.SG. Production was handled by Bellow Media, a member of Bloomr.SG’s creator circle. According to SKM, the collaboration demonstrates what can happen when purpose and capability come together — reflecting the very message of the film itself: meaningful work rarely begins and ends with one party but is made greater together.

The film is available on SKM's Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube on 29 June 2026. 

The campaign follows the recent release of the 2025 SKM Graciousness Survey, which highlighted a belief-behaviour gap among Singaporeans. While many continue to value kindness, everyday environments and circumstances can often get in the way of turning intention into action.

According to Michelle Tay, executive director of Singapore Kindness Movement, deed is a response to that gap.

“deed tells us that there is no ‘perfect place’ or ‘right time’. All we have is right now, and making our actions count: overcoming our immediate circumstances and choosing to do the greater thing,” she said.

In addition, Karun S’Baram, deputy director of strategic marketing and communications at SKM, said the film carries a subtle scientific resonance.

“In physics, entropy describes the universe’s tendency to drift from order into disorder. While time moves only forward, the film proposes that kindness need not; it can travel backward and forward through a community, ordering and reordering our lives, refusing the entropy that would otherwise pull us apart,” he said.

“deed” continues SKM’s push to shift the national conversation from “yours” and “mine” to “ours”, making visible the collective fabric that connects people in everyday life.

SKM has also been building on its “ours” narrative through its "Multicultural mosaics" series, which celebrates Singapore’s major ethnic festivals through stories of shared values, community and connection.

Its latest instalment, Ketupat, released in March, centres on a young woman who has just moved into a new block and befriends a lonely makcik ('aunty') who prepares ketupat ('rice cake') every year in the hope that her son will return home. Through their bond, the makcik imparts a lesson on patience — one the young woman later passes on to a minimart uncle frustrated by stock delays.

The series previously featured Pineapple Tarts for Chinese New Year, Murukku for Deepavali and Candy Cane for Christmas. Through the series, SKM aims to encourage Singaporeans to move from seeing traditions as “yours” or “mine” to embracing them as “ours”. 

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