Wednesday, June 10, 2015
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9:15 PM
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What is FAERYVILLE really about? Friendship. Idealism. Disillusionment. Anarchy? Fitting in? Fear of the world? We've been getting a myriad of feedback ever since our launch in Singapore.
So far, young people under 20, being the age where they are still trying to find themselves, tend to connect most with FAERYVILLE.
"The Nobodies are the show-stealers. They remind us of simpler times when we had nothing to fight for."
"Four months away from graduation, that's all the time we've left, to truly find ourselves.... wow... mindblown!"
"The film makes us think about our childhood and how we have been bullied and how we later become bullies ourselves."
"The casting is fantastic. The Nobodies are awesome."
For audiences over 20, we get an interesting 60/40 split, with some really loving, and some absolutely hating the film.
"What's the point?" says an audience member. "You make us sympathise with the Nobodies, and you make them such fall-able cowards, and you destroy them. Why do this to us? Why bother making a film like that?"
"We wonder what the director is trying to say with this?
To get out there and quit life?"
People with strong convictions, a strong sense of purpose and a desire for triumph, tend to hate Faeryville, which is what director Tzang says he is comfortable with.
"Faeryville forces you to question your ideals." says Tzang in an interview before. "Faeryville exposes audiences to the vulnerable truth that we can all fail, or that we all know nothing, and thus should be afraid about fighting for anything."
Not everyone can roll with that. We've been fed the 'take a stand', 'fight for what you believe', 'live/die for something or fall for anything' trope for so long. It's this very idea that is turning us into divisive people championing cause after cause, turning against each other so we can be part of something, and perhaps that's why Faeryville is so relevant.
Mature audiences who love the film often highlight how brave the film is, exposing the truth, that ideology can be a dangerous thing.
Here are some thoughts.
"It's about fighting on, even though you don't stand a chance."
"It's about the world, the powerful and the powerless,
and how we still have to get by."
"Faeryville is an astounding gut-twister of a film. Tzang Merwyn Tong’s allegory of the relationship between society and rebellion will have you questioning who you are for a long time. It stands both idealism and cynicism on their heads." - Dr. Gwee Li Sui, Poet / Literary Critic
"Nothing is right or wrong anymore... this film says it, masterfully."
"Faeryville is not just timely, it's timeless. I admire the Director's courage in killing (this character). The writer in me truly appreciates that he was meticulous enough to close all the loops (such a rare commodity in movies these days, agh! haha…), and so skillfully, managed to do it without imposing on the audience and still left it up to them to make their own decisions about right or wrong or neither."
- Farah Bagharib, Copywriter
What do you think Faeryville is really about?
We love to hear your thoughts. Comment below.
Follow us on facebook.com/faeryville
instagram.com/faeryville
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#Faeryville
Thursday, August 21, 2014
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10:30 PM
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He's a rising star in the independent film scene, soon to play his first major role in a Feature Film, as a Nobody. Meet indie film actor, LYON SIM, the Boy Wonder contributing to Singapore Independent Cinema with a good number of notable films under his belt. Rumour has it that Lyon is also working on a project, for which he'll write and direct.
Until that happens, let's take a look at some of the young actor's work, over the last few years.
"Don't Hang Up, My Love" 2014
In this film by indie director Dag Kaszlikowski, Lyon plays Jack, a die-hard player who's strictly in the game, in constant search of purely physical connections with the opposite sex.
"Tadpoles" 2013
Lyon Sim stars alongside Charis Vera Ng in this film by indie director Ivan Tan, about a newly wed couple trapped in a flood within their roof.
Tadpoles made it to the Official Selection of Festival del film Locarno.
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| Lyon (as Donkey) with Tzang Merwyn Tong on the set of V1K1 |
"V1K1 - A Techno Fairytale" 2011
Blinded behind the mask of Donkey, Lyon works with cult director Tzang Merwyn Tong, scaling walls and falling off structures, with his curiosity for human behaviour infecting the rest of the techno-fairy family.
Winner of the Gold Remi Award (Fantasy / Sci Fi category) at 2011 Houston WorldFest.
"Cubik" 2010
Directed by Jason Brenizer, Lyon plays a scientist who gets migraines alongside information acquired with his telescopic eye.
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| Stargazers (2009) |
"Stargazers" 2009
With the advice of Twinkle the mysterious star, Mike (Lyon Sim) must join a band competition, win, and get the girl of his dreams. Problem is he doesn't have a band, nor a song; not even a guitar.
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| Band of Mischief (2011) |
"Band of Mischief" 2011
Together with the other victims of school bullying, Arthur (Lyon Sim) embarks on a mission to seek revenge. Going berserk with masks and all.
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| Class M (2014) |
Lyon Sim has been placed as a category, during an exhibition at The Substation in 2013, archiving his works of over 10 years.
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| Redline (2010) |
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| Elephant in the Room (2014) |
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| Redline (2010) |
_________________________________________________________
Lyon will play POE, leader of a misfit group called The Nobodies, in upcoming feature film, FAERYVILLE, a dystopian teen movie 8-years-in-the-making by Tzang Merwyn Tong.
FAERYVILLE (starring Lyon Sim, Aaron Samuel Yong, Farid Assalam and Jae Leung) is currently in the final stages of Post Production. An international release is expected within the year.
Follow Lyon on Twitter: @charmelyonsim
Monday, January 27, 2014
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12:07 AM
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The Boy Who Plays Laer
You may not know him yet, so this is perfect. Every breakout youth movie requires a new face (from Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting to Leonardo DiCaprio in Basketball Diaries) to kick doors open and challenge the game. Established names do not work.
Meet the boy who plays LAER.
A Chinese Latino with a combination of killer charisma and stone cold gravitas. An art lover who loves acting as much as he loves aircrafts. The young actor who beat 100 other auditionees for the part of 'boy with a past/ a ticking time bomb/ befriends a group of losers, and together - they rise up.'
We catch up with Faeryville actor, Aaron Samuel Yong (who is currently studying in the UK) for A FEW WORDS about dystopian movies, his debut independent feature film and his unusual love for aircraft. You might want to know him, before the world does later.
What is your ethnicity and how old are you?
I’m 25, Chinese-Hispanic: my Dad is Chinese and my Mum is from Panama in Latin America. Both my parents are Singaporean and that’s where I was born and raised.
Tell us about the 'Laer' character you play in Faeryville?
Laer Mathias is a quiet teenager with a dark past, an anti-hero - a loner by choice; he draws his strength from himself and no-one else; the new kid on the block who quickly becomes the centre of film when he joins a misfit group called The Nobodies.
That's an interesting description. What do you feel about playing a character that doesn't talk much?
I think being a man of few words adds to his depth. The character of Laer has been crafted such that a lot of what he thinks and feels are conveyed in silence, and for me this is what made him so challenging yet interesting to play.
How do you think people will feel about him and what he does?
I don’t think Laer was written to be liked by anyone, not even the audience. His cold, foreboding personality is accompanied by dangerous decisions he made more than once... but I think as the film progresses and his layers are peeled back. Audiences will find it hard not to sympathise with his background and his cause.
 Faeryville is a coming-of-age film. So, what were you like as a teenager - growing up?
Nowhere near a rebel like Laer, that’s for sure! I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity for the way things work and I spent most of my childhood as a quiet kid, observing the world around me. That’s how I developed my passion for product design and transport design.
The performing arts was never second fiddle though. I’ve been involved in acting and drama since I was about seven, and carried it with me in one form or another through my late teens and into adulthood.
What are you doing right now?
Right now I'm in the UK working on my degree in Transport Design, which encompasses automotive, aircraft interior and yacht design. On the side, I try to keep one toe dipped in the media industry doing freelance voice-over work.
Freelance voice-over work in England? Wow. Okay, what can't you leave home without?
A full stomach.
What do you do for fun?
Exercise! Some of my favourite moments in life are simple ones spent on my bike or in a kayak with not a care in the world.
You seem to have an obsession with aircraft and flight machinery. Tell us more about it.
Oh, airliners are just part of the story. I’ve had a passion for vehicles for as long as I can remember. As a kid I would devour car magazines and any book on ships, trains or planes I could get my hands on, and I’ve been sketching original car designs since I was five. It's why I'm doing my degree in Transport Design now; it was quite literally my childhood dream.
What are your thoughts about Faeryville (script/story or characters?) so far.
I developed a lot of respect for the story over time as it began to take shape. The underlying premise of 'Fighting for a Cause with no Promise of Victory' is hard not to get drawn into, particularly given the complex relationships between the protagonists themselves.
How do you think people will relate to Faeryville, based on what you've seen.
I think it depends on where different people are coming from. Delving into The Nobodies’ individual characters and the dystopian world of Faeryville that they're thrust into uncovers a lot of sentiments that may be echoed by many people in real life, and I think that struggle lends a lot of realism to the drama of a world that has been developed from the outset to be detached from reality.
Do you have a favourite dystopian movie?
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| Gattaca (1997) |
Gattaca. The film was interesting to me right away because of how instant and indisputable validation of a person was possible. I loved how the film unfolded so intimately and with so much desperation, all while being a powerful reminder of the foolishness of singularly-minded prejudgment prevalent in many elements of society today.
What would you say to Faeryville's current early facebook supporters. They are the brave early adopters.
First of all a huge thank you for supporting the film, especially if you haven't seen any part of it yet. Being an independent production means that a following is everything, so don’t keep it to yourselves! Voice out and tell your friends about it.
Faeryville is currently in the final stages of Post Production. An international release is expected within the year.
Follow Aaron on Twitter/ Instagram: @aaronsamuelyong
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
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8:44 AM
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'Fear and Power controls everything.'
After many years in development, after 200 or so rejections, principal photography for Faeryville begins. Follow the independent film's progress at facebook.com/faeryville
FAERYVILLE, COMING XX14
Writer/Director: Tzang Merwyn Tong
Director of Photography: David Foo
Production Manager: Sharon De Mello
Starring: Lyon Sim, Aaron Samuel Yong, Kris Moller & more.
Production Houses: INRI studio / Film Mall / FRVL Pictures
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e'TZAINTES and A WICKED TALE: TM & 2007 INRI studio. All Rights Reserved.
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