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Filmmaker Kevin Siyuan releases final ‘A Wes Anderson-ish Singapore’ update

2023-08-11T18:15:00-04:00

The second and final update to architecturally-inspired filmmaker Kevin Siyuan’s documentation of Singapore has been released, offering his follow-up to a popular 2021 video that compared many of the city’s iconic landmarks to structures and interiors included in the cinema of fellow design lover Wes Anderson.

In the 19-plus minutes of ‘A Wes Anderson-ish Singapore Vol.2’, Siyuan weaves a narrative about the aesthetic qualities latent in the city and related to Anderson’s films. Siyuan said he was particularly inspired by the recently-released ‘Asteroid City’ and ever-popular ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’, adding that it offers an equally concise portrait of the various aspects of land use – a component that has helped Singapore earn a reputation as the greenest city in Asia.

As he tells it: “The year is 2023, as we embrace the new normal, have a breath of the refreshing Singapore Air, and welcome back to our island, the tropical getaway and the City in Nature. Change happens very quickly...

Wes Anderson-inspired short film explores Singapore's diverse built environment

2021-10-26T18:07:00-04:00

A short film by architectural photographer and filmmaker Kevin Siyuan explores the built environment of Singapore through the unique style and lens of Wes Anderson.

Titled “A Wes Anderson-ish Singapore,” the film is a culmination of a year of exploration around the Asian city-state. Made with zero budget, the film focuses on the diverse architecture, urban planning, places, and people of a post-pandemic Singapore. Iconic structures, such as the Apple Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Changi Airport, and Golden Mile Complex, along with the country’s green spaces and street art are displayed in the peculiar cinematographic style and direction of Wes Anderson films.

As described by Siyuan in the video’s description: “The scenes were framed using mostly flattened symmetrical perspective with focus on architecture but contextualized and told with elements that are uniquely Singapore.”

Signature Wes Anderson films such as “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Life Aquatic by Steve Zissou,” “Moonri...