Continuing its tradition of creating compelling documentary series, Viddsee launched its third slate of VOICES starting with The Craft of Art, which explores Singapore’s developing art scene through the stories of five influential figures across various disciples.

This year’s slate of VOICES documentaries run from Sept 2020 to February 2021, with a new series launched each month. The slate comprises The Craft of Art (debuting Sept 30), Letters To God Season 2 (Oct 21), 0 (Nov 18), Walking With The Dead (Dec 9), In Your Shoes (Jan 6, 2021), and Outside The Box (Feb 3, 2021). Each series comprises five episodes, each lasting 5-7 minutes long, and are free to watch on Viddsee, and Viddsee’s YouTube channel.

The documentaries are produced by Viddsee Studios and are conceptualised by local filmmakers who aim to drive conversations and explore the many perspectives within our society. Among the Singaporean filmmakers involved Eileen Chong, Priscilla Goh, Joy Lee, and Gabriel Lin.

“Since we started VOICES in 2018, we’ve had a clear idea of what it can do in telling stories that are big in spirit and capturing cultures and experiences through the filmmaker’s perspective. This third slate continues to cover a diverse range of topics — from artistic development and culture of innovation to environmental issues and the value of work — and we hope viewers will come away with a greater appreciation for people whose stories are often overlooked,” said Kenny Tan, the executive producer and head of Viddsee Studios.

A start with the arts

The third slate of VOICES kicks off with The Craft of Art, which explores Singapore’s developing art scene through the stories of five artistes, helping audiences gain a deeper appreciation for their work by examining their inspirations, motivations, life experiences, their artistic signatures, and creative processes.

The series begins with a profile of Singaporean illustrator Lee Kow Fong, whose illustrations often showcase idyllic moments set against Singapore’s locales; award-winning Tamil cinema music producer and singer-songwriter Shabir Tabare Alam; Sufri Juwahir, an independent dance artist and choreographer; street artist Speak Cryptic, who uses street art to explore topics of multiculturalism and identity; and ceramic artist and founder of Adrienne Ceramics, Jeanette Adrienne Wee.

Series director Kenneth Chan said, “We passively consume art on a daily basis, but rarely do we stop to think about them. That was the motivation in making this documentary series; to find out more about art forms that we found fascinating and unique, and translating what we have learned to the audience, in a way that is refreshing, entertaining, and informative. We want audiences to learn that art does not necessarily just come from a mystical spring of inspiration, some do but not all, and to discover the intentionality behind the artists’ creations.”

The series is also supported by the National Arts Council, which will sponsor numerous related activities and contests including a meet-and-greet session with Shabir, workshops with Jeanette and Sufri, and merchandise featuring artwork from Speak Cryptic and Kow Fong.

Documentaries scheduled to run until 2021

Following The Craft of Art is the second season of Letters To God, a series directed by Eileen Chong that continues the story of Subanna, a medium, and Miki, a Christian, who were first introduced to each other in the first season that launched last year. Eileen will also direct In Your Shoes, in which she puts herself in the shoes of five meaningful and unique jobs including as a palliative nurse, sewage worker, and high-rise window cleaner.

The remaining documentary series are 0 by Priscilla Goh, which profiles the unlikely eco-heroes of Singapore; Walking With The Dead by Joy Lee, which profiles different professionals entrusted with the last leg of a person’s journey; and Outside The Box by Gabriel Lin, which explores the historical, social and cultural background of recent innovations in Singapore.