Meet the man behind the short film, “The Prism”, a story of determination in the face of hardship.

A troubled past

Meet Matthew Quek, a singer, songwriter, actor, producer, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Counsellor, educator and most recently, an Executive Film Producer. But before achieving his success, he lived a life of adversity — due to complications during his birth that affected his brain’s left hemisphere. This led to him having Dyslexia, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) / Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Asperger’s, which falls under Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Throughout his schooling years, Matthew had attracted unwanted attention of unremitting bullies. He was also a victim of ignorance, due to the lack of empathy and knowledge others had regarding SEN. It was only when serving the mandatory National Service (NS), when he was diagnosed with having SEN, that he discovered why he always seemed so “different” from his peers.

Family and friends

“The only silver lining in my life has been my loved ones who never gave up on me, and not to mention my wife, An-Dian, who was featured as a character in my first film, “Unbroken”. My parents and sister were also very understanding and supportive of me, despite my struggles. They always told me that my character and the motivation of my heart was far more important than all the distinctions, and accolades one could get.”

Through all of these, he sought solace in his family, paying tribute to his wife, sister, and parents for their unwavering support through hardship. He also credits certain outstanding teachers for their kindness and impartiality, inspiring him to eventually become an educator himself.