What’s the cost of fulfilling your dreams? For independent documentary storyteller OKJ (full name is Ong Kah Jing), it was his entire life savings that was originally meant to finance the renovation of his four-room BTO flat.
The money had gone into making A Feeling of Music Playing, an experiential documentary that allows non-musicians to appreciate what musicians found to be impossible to describe – the feelings they experience when playing music.
In the film, audiences are immersed in the historic interiors of Eng Tiang Huat Chinese Cultural Shop, where third-generation owner Jeffrey Eng is joined by four musicians who have never played together before.
“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,” says OKJ. “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.”
Shot over the Labour Day weekend in 2022, he also became the sole executive producer overseeing over 20 crew members despite the uncertainty of filming this subject matter.
Since the film’s completion last year, OKJ has invested in a $7,500 pop-up cinema set up to enable communities around Singapore to experience the documentary for themselves. The positive response emboldened OKJ to invest in creating a one-night theatrical experience out of his own pocket.
The 28-minute documentary will be screened for one night only at Singapore’s largest Dolby Atmos cinema, the 602-seater GVMax at Golden Village Vivocity on Aug 7, 9pm.
Has it been worth the investment? You’d have to find out for yourself. Get tickets to the screening at Golden Village’s website.
Audience members will also receive an exclusive edition of the film’s poster and enjoy a special Q&A session with the cast and crew. Beyond the screening, OKJ has plans to go international in 2024 and “do justice to Singapore stories for audiences globally”. We’ll be eagerly watching.
