Moving Art National Library Board, Singapore

For most people, TV documentaries mean BBC's animal specials voiced by Sir David Attenborough. But documentaries actually encompass a wide range of video content including the first films ever created, as well as accidental recordings like the JFK assassination. Find out how civic discourse and streaming services such as Netflix have brought about the explosive popularity of modern documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine, Tiger King and Don't F with Cats.

[06.25] Abraham Zapruder's recorded footage on the JFK Assassination has been called "the most important 26 seconds of film in history”.
[10.57] Tell Me Who I Am is a documentary about a traumatic childhood one brother Marcus tries to hide from his amnesiac twin Alex to protect him from their past.
[14.38] Don't F with Cats tells the story of a vigilante group tracking a cat killer online only to realise that he is escalating towards murder.

What makes a good horror film? Is it the jump-scares, supernatural elements, the expert use of sound, or psychology of the mind that draw us to them? In this episode, find out how horror films bring out our deepest fears, and the cultural differences between American and Asian horror films.

[01.49] Horror movies tap into our primal fears and feature many sub-genres that we might be familiar with.
[04.48] Sound plays a big component in horror movies, using diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to cue us in on what is happening on screen.
[09.23] Asian horror films are predominantly supernatural and psychological. This could be tied to how superstition and folklore are so deeply entrenched in Asian cultures.

Cartoons are often thought as children's fare, but in recent years, animated shows such as The Simpsons, South Park and Rick and Morty have become mainstream staples on TV. This episode explores the rise of animation for adults, including Japanese anime that has taken the world by storm.

[06.26] Fantasia is Disney's first animated film targeted at adults and features abstract animation choreographed to classical music pieces.
[10.36] South Park and The Simpsons play a big part in influencing modern comedy and paved the way to push boundaries in topics and themes covered in adult animation.
[18.05] Japanese Anime Cowboy Bebop is a sci-fi series with western and noir overtones that is being developed as a Netflix series in 2021.

Dubbed Walt Disney of Japan, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli has enthralled generations of children and adults alike with his Academy Award-winning animated works. Filled with Japanese sensibilities such as Shintoism, his films nonetheless find emotional traction and relevance with audiences throughout the world. The final episode seeks to uncover the common but enduring themes in his works which includes Spirited Away and Ponyo.

[00.49] Miyazaki's works include Spirited Away which won the Best Animated Feature award at the Academy Awards in 2003.
[10.40] Miyazaki develops his characters based on traits he observes in humanity. His characters begin flawed and end flawed just like real human beings.
[13.05] Love and respect for nature features prominently in Miyazaki's works. In many instances, he views civilisation and its trappings as antithetical to nature.