As big and as fancy as it was, the recently constructed Shangri-La Hotel in Downtown Vancouver couldn't possibly have been as intimidating as Jean Yeo, the Singaporean film director with whom I was scheduled to have an interview at 4 o'clock. At least, this was my initial thought process as I sprinted through the hotel doors out of breath and five minutes late. Surely she would be fuming at my tardiness.

Instead I found Jean, accompanied by her husband and producer Pedro Tan, reclining casually in the lobby couches, no different in demeanor from a pair of globetrotting Asian tourists soaking up the latest dry spell in a wet Vancouver summer.

We exchanged pleasantries and small talk, and soon all my fears and assumptions about Jean and the impending interview dissipated like the morning clouds.

Upon Jean's insistence, the three of us went to have high tea at the Shangri-La restaurant. This certainly added to the whole relaxed atmosphere, and I found myself putting aside my set of interview questions in favour of an entirely spontaneous and organic conversation. I learned that this was only Jean and Pedro's second time in Vancouver.

Throughout the course of our conversation Jean revealed to me that she is more familiar with the television medium in general, since being a television producer is a "day job," her "bread and butter," while movies represent her "personal interest."

Of course, just from watching the gorgeous cinematography of The Leap Years, it is apparent that Jean's "personal interest" can be compared favorably to the best that Asian cinema has to offer.

Jean has already established herself as a preeminent television director in Singapore, and now her first film, The Leap Years, is the highest grossing film in box office history for a locally produced English movie in Singapore.

With that achievement under her belt, I was surprised at how easygoing and natural our conversation was; It felt like a reunion with an old friend. Jean and Pedro have this friendly and approachable aura that made me feel as if I had known them well for a long time. They certainly did not give off a glimmer of the "rock-star persona" that seems to pervade many celebrities and artists in the Hollywood scene.

While fans of their work might vehemently disagree, Jean and Pedro do not consider themselves famous at all. Despite the surprising box-office success and the warm reception of The Leap Years throughout Asia, the pair continues to be refreshingly humble and grateful towards their new-found fame.

Their contributions to Singaporean film are significant; Jean's endeavours in both television and cinema have garnered unprecedented attention from Singaporean studios and broadcasters, attracting interest from international markets such as Hong Kong and Mainland China, markets which have been traditionally quite difficult for the tiny country to tap into.

The work ethic of Jean and Pedro is also remarkable; with the exception of a six month break after The Leap Years was finished in 2005, the duo have been filming and producing television programs and documentaries at an unceasing pace for the majority of their careers. The fact that Jean and Pedro had their six month-old son to take care of while promoting The Leap Years proves just how hardworking they had to be in order to thrive in a fledgling industry like Singaporean cinema.

When I suggested a similarity with Canadian film, which has been perpetually dwarfed by Hollywood, Jean pointed out that Singaporean cinema is in fact far younger than its Canadian counterpart.

With a history extending for less than 10 years, Singaporean cinema makes the Canadian movie tradition seem ancient and well established in comparison. Yet she still expressed hope that it would only be a "matter of time" before young Singapore rises to the heights of Hong Kong and China in the realm of moviemaking and television.

In any case, Jean notes that she would fully support any Asian country in such an endeavour, since, like many, she is tired of being constantly fed the "Hollywood diet."

When I asked Jean if she had any favourite directors, she responded with an unabashed declaration of admiration for Ang Lee, even going so far as to profess a desire to work for Ang Lee as an unpaid assistant. The passion and energy that she gave off reminded me of a star-struck fan. The irony here was, of course, that I would feel the same way after watching the screening of The Leap Years the next day. My respect for Jean and Pedro, and my awe at their accomplishment in depicting such a picturesque and emotive story against the stunning backdrop of Singapore, was matched only by my amazement at their modesty and humble nature.

After the conclusion of the film at the screening, Jean and Pedro got up inconspicuously from their seats for a question-answer session with the piqued Vancouverites. Listening carefully to each query, they strove to give candid, honest, and thoughtful answers, and expressed their gratitude at receiving input and comments on their movie. Jean had told me in our interview how appreciative she was when The Leap Years was shown in Shanghai, and the Shanghai audience asked a number of insightful questions, in fact extending the allotted fifteen minute question and answer period to an hour. It is no surprise then that Jean and Pedro made such a long trip from Singapore for the Vancouver screening; they both are highly interested in hearing how audiences from all across the globe respond to their films.

As Jean and Pedro waited patiently for their photos to be taken with theatre and explorAsian management, I was told, to my dismay, that The Leap Years was not available on DVD. In Jean's own words, they simply did not anticipate the enormous popularity of the film, and had sold out of all their DVD copies within days of their release. Though I was saddened by this development, it reminded me of just how humble and modest Jean and Pedro have been throughout their long and prolific careers.

I feel that they are the prototypes of a new wave in filmmaking across the globe, one where the focus is placed firmly on the films themselves, and not on the self-indulgent directors and actors behind them.

Jean had mentioned to me in our interview that her lifelong dream was to direct a version of the hit TV show CSI in Singapore. I was surprised by her interest and passion in such a violent and gritty genre, especially when compared to the aesthetic beauty of The Leap Years. Then again, with Jean Yeo and Pedro Tan, you're always in for a pleasant surprises.