As the saying goes, “where words fail, music speaks”. This Singaporean film director translates the joy of playing music together with people through A Feeling of Music Playing – a 28-minute independent documentary film production that will be screened at the GV Max at Golden Village Vivocity on August 7, 9pm.
It is a rare occurrence for an independent film to secure a screening at a major cinema, and this opportunity did not come without a price. The director of the film, OKJ, invested a significant portion of his savings to make this dream a reality. Prior to its wider release, the film had been showcased at a self-funded, mobile pop-up cinema, and its positive reception led to its expansion onto a larger platform.
Taking place within the Eng Tiang Huat Chinese Cultural Shop, this immersive documentary guides you through the emotional voyage that unfolds during a jam session among four musicians on traditional instruments – Faizal (Guzheng), Gildon (Pipa), Wei Jie (Dizi) and Govin (Tabla) – who have never collaborated before. This captivating experience allows both musicians and non-musicians alike to deeply feel and appreciate this extraordinary encounter.
“A documentary can immerse audiences, so much so that it is the next best thing to reality. The unique challenge with this work comes from the fact that there is no way to predict how a jamming session amongst musicians would turn out. And that was what made this work special. When we succeeded, it was akin to catching lightning in a bottle. Only then did I know that we did justice to the experiences of these musicians, for all audiences,” says film director OKJ.
Book your tickets to the film here.
