“We Desire Observation”: Director Yeo Siew Hua Discusses Voyeurism, Lee Kang-sheng, and the Identity of Singaporean Cinema

      In the increasingly intense interaction between visibility and being observed, where surveillance serves as both a threat and a personal gesture, Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua persistently challenges cinematic norms. Following the Lynchian enigma of A Land Imagined, which garnered him the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2018, Yeo presents Stranger Eyes, a psychological thriller delving into voyeurism, digital identity, and intergenerational trauma.

      Marking the first Singaporean film to debut in the Venice Film Festival’s Main Competition, Stranger Eyes tells the story of a young father who spirals into suspicion and mediated intimacy after his daughter goes missing. As anonymous home videos emerge, all leads seemingly point to his reclusive neighbor, portrayed with subtle intensity by the acclaimed Lee Kang-sheng. The film presents a narrative akin to a hall of mirrors, shifting perspectives and defying genre norms, reflecting Yeo’s interest in fragmented storytelling and the political and emotional contexts of visibility.

      I had the chance to engage with Yeo during last year’s New York Film Festival. Throughout our discussion, he shared insights ranging from casting Lee Kang-sheng as a “silent voyeur” to reconceptualizing surveillance as an unexpected arena for romance, and his navigation within both Chinese-language cinema and Singapore's evolving film identity. The result is a portrayal of an artist deeply invested in the contradictions of modern life, seeking to redefine how and why we observe.

      As Stranger Eyes prepares for its U.S. theatrical premiere at NYC’s Film at Lincoln Center on Friday, August 29, presented by Film Movement, enjoy our conversation below.

      The Film Stage: I’m curious about the origins of this film. It clearly relates to the contemporary surveillance culture, but fundamentally, it's a narrative about parenting and family.

      Yeo Siew Hua: You’re spot on. We currently inhabit a much more surveilled reality than before, where discussions around privacy were prevalent. Over time, amidst a pandemic, this surveillance has become acutely relevant in our lives. Living in a densely populated place like Singapore, where surveillance is prevalent, has been part of my experience: being in close proximity to neighbors and able to look into their homes. This dynamic of observing my neighbor while being aware of being watched creates an entire chain of observation. This was certainly a foundational idea for this film.

      I also have a deep interest in young parents, perhaps due to my own life stage. I'm beginning to contemplate parenthood myself, and this theme intertwined with the narrative of young parents grappling with their roles under scrutiny.

      The film presents an intriguing contrast: individuals passively subjected to surveillance while others actively present themselves through social media and streaming. One character even expresses a desire to be seen. How do you interpret this paradox?

      Precisely. This leads to contemplation on the implications of being observed. While being watched may breach our privacy, there’s also a desire for that attention. Our existence is increasingly linked to online visibility, seeking approval, followers, and subscriptions. To exist today is inherently to be seen, perhaps more than ever. It’s a moment that warrants recognition.

      My aim is to convey that our self-image has grown so substantial that it can surpass our actual selves—the images we curate. We now live as representations for others. In this interplay of seeing and being seen, our constructed images can often become more influential than our true selves, presenting truths about our identities that may differ from our self-perceptions. This creates inconsistencies in how we form our identities. The distinctions between who we are and how we portray ourselves can at times align, but also diverge. We are evolving into numerous representations of our images—a fascinating development in our present milieu.

      Returning to the theme of family, the characters portrayed by Wu Chien-ho and Lee Kang-sheng are both fathers and sons living with their mothers. This duality leads to a compelling family dynamic. What influenced this character design?

      This intergenerational narrative is particularly relevant in terms of our self-experience and identity, especially within the Asian context, where family ties are significantly robust. It is commonly said in Singapore that many live with their parents until they marry, primarily due to high rental costs. People often shift from one family unit to another and may continue to live with their parents even after marriage if they struggle to earn enough. Thus, there’s no clear severance from these familial connections, which I aimed to reflect through these parallel families observing each other.

      Additionally, this connection reveals how our parenting often mirrors our own upbringing, whether we choose to rebel or embrace certain family traditions. By focusing on parenthood, I’m also addressing childhood or sonhood, crafting a unified narrative through both families that ultimately reflect one another.

      The characters played by Lee Kang-sheng and Wu Chien-ho also reflect each other in such a way that one almost replays the other's past, suggesting a doomed repetition. However, there seems to be an optimistic note suggesting the potential to break this cycle. Can you