Born in Singapore, Nelson Yeo’s debut feature film „Dreaming & Dying“ won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present and the First Feature Award at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival. His short films also met with international success and were selected for festivals including Rotterdam, Taipei and Cairo.
What was your starting point for „Through Your Eyes“?
„Through Your Eyes“ began as a collection of loosely connected vignettes, centered on the almost clichéd notion of eyes as windows to the soul. During our location scouting, we stumbled upon the Hawaii Night Club, a place that seemed to be frozen in time, existing even before I was born. I vividly remember the club manager remarking that the venue had become something of a retirement home in recent years. That idea immediately intrigued me, and I realized the club itself could become the central character of the film, with the people merely existing within its space and history.
I wanted the film to communicate its essence primarily through the gazes of the individuals, which led to very little dialogue. In fact, there wasn’t even a formal script. Instead, we worked with a collection of images and notes we had gathered during our research. The goal was simple: we wanted the place itself to speak to us, to reveal its own story.
Do you have a favorite moment in the film? Which one and why this one in particular?
The scene between the two delivery guys at the pool table will be the one that stays with me the most. It wasn’t part of the original plan. While we were waiting for the other actors to arrive, we had some free time, and that moment spontaneously unfolded in a corner of the club we hadn’t initially considered filming in. It’s my favorite because it feels like a fleeting, almost dreamlike pause—a quiet, intimate moment suspended in time, where the world outside seems to vanish.
What do you like about the short form?
I believe „Through Your Eyes“ wouldn’t have existed without the short form. It gives me the freedom to explore loose concepts and ideas that aren’t bound by traditional narratives. For me, abstraction and experimentation are essential when creating a short film. I’m not one to repeat myself in filmmaking, so with every new project, I challenge myself to push boundaries and experiment with different storytelling methods. With Through Your Eyes, I wanted the camera, the sound, and the space to become characters in their own right, alongside the actors, with the story unfolding almost entirely without words—communicated only through the gazes of the individuals.
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INTERVIEWS
„Nous n’avons pas travaillé à partir d’un scénario traditionnel pour Through Your Eyes, mais plutôt à partir d’une simple liste de plans associée à de vieilles photos du club comme point de départ. Il y a des scènes dans le film qui sont complètement improvisées, inspirées par l’espace lui-même pendant le tournage. Je n’ai pas trouvé que les changements de ton dans les scènes posaient un problème parce qu’ils semblaient très naturels.“
interview with Nelson Yeo for Le Polyester
PRESS REVIEWS
„Ein Dahintreiben im lebendigen Beat und aufsteigendem Zigarettenrauch, ein Sehnsuchtsuchen zwischen Licht und Schatten, eine Bildcollage, der verlassene Seelen nicht entfliehen können. Vom Spiegel starren einsame Gestalten zurück, Geborgenheit finden sie in der nostalgischen 80er-Disco-Atmo. THROUGH YOUR EYES kreiert ohne große Worte einen Sog, der innerhalb zwanzig Minuten eindringliche Momente aus der überschaubaren Kulisse herausholt.“
review by Paul Seidel for Riecks Filmkritiken
„The narrative maneuvers between characters, yet at the same time doesn’t reveal the explanations for their behaviors or emotions. Nonetheless, it is neither chaotic nor lost. Despite minimal dialogues, Doreen Toh, a recurring actress in Yeo’s films, along with Lim Puon Hat, manage to reach a mutual understanding in the end. Just like the title says, melancholy and sadness are visible through their eyes. Both characters are able to read one another’s emotions and consequently fall in love anew. The unsaid feelings are not only displayed perfectly by the actors, but are also caught thoroughly by the camera, which was operated by Lincoln Yeo, the director’s longtime collaborator.“
review by Magdalena Nieświec for Asian Movie Pulse.com
„Nelson Yeo aus Singapur ergründet in Through Your Eyes wiederum die Erinnerungen und Sehnsüchte vierer Menschen und lässt diese miteinander verschmelzen, während in der queeren Liebesgeschichte Casi septiembre sich die Protagonistin Alejandra ihrer Angst stellt, verlassen zu werden. Die Shorts zeigen damit durch ihre Diversität und Bandbreite, was Kurzfilm kann und auszudrücken vermag.“
mention by Peter Bratenstein for zeitgeschichte online
„Dans ce film aux couleurs chatoyantes, les clients et travailleurs d’un night club mélancolique semblent cacher un secret fantastique – à moins qu’il ne soit question du secret renfermé par le lieu en lui-même? La bande sonore est enveloppante et les idées visuelles sont séduisantes dans cette petite perle imprévisible. „
mention by Nicolas Bardot & Gregory Coutaut for Le Polyester
„Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Nelson Yeo, „Through Your Eyes“ makes its world premiere in Berlinale Shorts. Co-produced by Tan Si En and Joel Neo, with Filipino executive producer Wilfredo Manalang, the film showcases the growing collaboration between Southeast Asian filmmakers in producing boundary-pushing cinema.“
mention by Liza Diño-Seguerra for The Manila Times
reactions on letterboxd
Berlinale Shorts 