Wheel Tracks: An Interview with Ashley Wong

Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Wheel Tracks’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?

My stint in documentary filmmaking started five years ago while I was studying in Polytechnic. I was pursuing a Creative Writing diploma with a specialisation in film. It was there that I began my filmmaking journey, stepping foot into directing, editing, producing, and all things film.

My first short documentary, Pole of Hope (2020), featured a young pole dancer dealing with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), exploring the contrast between the condition and the often vulnerable, self-exposing nature of the sport.

A year later, I worked on a three month long narrative project, Wheels to Heal (2021), documenting a wheelchair tennis player’s journey as she honed her craft as a new wheelchair user while also battling her mental illnesses. This work was what solidified my passion for non-fiction storytelling, having found purpose in pushing forth empowering stories that last.

I dipped my toes into fiction storytelling as well, directing and writing a short narrative film titled Spring Cleaning (2021). Not my proudest work, but I am still glad I tried my hand at creating a narrative short.

My most recent work was done in university, as part of a filmmaking module in collaboration with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA). My team and I told a story of loss and revival through the remarkable restoration of Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery in our short architecture documentary, Restoring Glory (2024). As a director, I usually focused solely on the story (and still do), but for this project, I made it a point to grow technically as a filmmaker, honing in on amplifying the film’s visual identity and discovering my own visual style.

Tell us about ‘Wheel Tracks’. How do you describe it?

Wheel Tracks is a slow and tender film about two father and son pairs whose life’s work revolves around Thailand’s iconic Tuk Tuk. In the Thai version of its title, ‘รอยล้อ’, the word ‘รอย’ comes from the Thai saying ‘เดินตามรอยเท้า’, which means “to follow in someone’s footsteps.” While the film is set against the backdrop of Bangkok’s Tuk Tuk culture, it is not a Tuk Tuk documentary. Instead, it is an exploration of the heart of a tradition passed down through generations, the quiet pride, the unspoken responsibility, and the emotional weight of keeping a legacy alive in a rapidly changing world.

Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.

I have only seen one film by Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine, titled War Dance (2007). It is a feature documentary that follows three Ugandan refugee children, whose lives were devastated by war, as they, alongside residents of the Patongo refugee camp, prepare for a nationwide music and dance competition. But it is this very film that inspired me to make documentaries, and it remains one of the few that has truly stuck with me to this day.

Other filmmakers I often follow are Wes Anderson (of course), Taika Waititi, and Lulu Wang. What I love about these three is how their films feel so distinctly theirs. Their sense of authorship brings fresh and unique perspectives to simple slice of life stories, and I hope that one day I will be able to find my own creative voice just like they have.

If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?

For a documentary film, I would like to direct either a political or crime documentary. Personally, these genres strike a deeper chord with me, and exploring the worlds of crime and politics would push me out of my comfort zone while fulfilling my passion for social advocacy and change.

For a narrative film, I would love to make a short thriller. Think Dexter, but with a seemingly unassuming female lead driven by powerful female rage. I have always been drawn to psychological thrillers and slasher films, so combining the two would be incredibly exciting.

Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?

For a production to stay on schedule, I think the most important factor is having an efficient producer. So far, the producers I have worked with have been nothing short of amazing. They were always alert and firm with time. As a director, I tend to get lost in the process of crafting a scene, to the point where time almost ceases to exist. But having a producer who is willing to snap me out of that and push me to stay on time and work as efficiently as they do has been incredibly helpful.

Having a detailed and reasonable production schedule and call sheet is also essential. In every project I have worked on, I have relied on these documents to make sure I get the shots I need within the limited time I have.

What was the hardest part of making ‘Wheel Tracks’.

My team and I really struggled with finding profiles. From the beginning, we were set on exploring Bangkok’s Tuk Tuks, but we had no story and no people to connect with in the trade. We initially tried reaching out to Tuk Tuk organisations, but all plans fell through. Our big break came when our head fixer got back to us with a list of Tuk Tuk garages she often works with, one of them being Song Garage.

Just a week before we were scheduled to fly to Bangkok, we finally connected with and confirmed our father and son profiles. I genuinely think we were lucky.

After the six day shoot, post production was quite eventful. From almost losing our two terabytes of footage due to a corrupted drive, to having to rewrite the story multiple times, it felt like a war. But we pulled through, and we are proud of the work we managed to piece together in just a few weeks.

If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?

I do not have any concrete future plans yet, but I am always either looking for potential stories or creating my own. My notes app is full of ideas I came up with in the shower that I still need to organise and develop. I hope that at least one of them will come to fruition in the near future.