The Official Blog of TRUEORIGIN ™

What’s up guys. It’s end 2022. Putting in a semi-quick post here. Been pretty busy, pouring my passions into what counts. Sometimes it’s better to just show in action eh? ^_^

Did cinematography on two feature-length documentary films, out in 2021. Disclaimer : views represented the aforementioned documentaries belong sole to the director or the individuals in the film. I have my own opinions, vision, path and am doing my own projects entirely on my own.

First, a iPhone documentary called “Outland” (2021) about unconventional migrants in Ticino Switzerland.

Second – literal English translation from the German title – “A Vaccine at Lightspeed : The BioNTech Project” (2021) about BioNTech and how the scientist couple plus their core team invented the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine. 2nd cam on this.

Details up on IMDb. Oh, and – Started company with husband. Still nothing run through it as of mid 2023 – making other arrangements pronto.

Not too shabby for COVID-19 times, I reckon. Now it’s onto the next projects, full speed ahead!

And yes, the writing continues as well. After tons of careful sifting/combing through memories, rewrites, finally a section came out crystal clear (I love alliteration, whoever said it was artificial was so misled).

Looking back, I don’t regret anything. A hard life is not for nought. You need to go through and overcome it to trigger certain gifts and development. The higher your ability and level you intend to reach, the more this is necessary. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

You know, it’s not that I expect thanks but sometimes the people you find and heal or help, turn around and hurt you. The worst thing I’ve seen is when someone you helped tries to put something on you to make sure you can’t move on or continue your work. Far out. They say that it’s the worst kind of karma to incur – if one were to humour that concept – Hindering or even stopping someone who is in the midst of applying good works in/for the world. I don’t mean the flashy ultra-visible kind, or the lots-of-money-or-credit-and-power/control kind, but the behind-the-scenes-to-support-the-longterm-evolutionary-process kind. Some will sneer or call you ineffective just because they expect the fireworks and parting seas. You know, the miracle shitshow. Or tons of gold in the banks to show for (call it crypto, doesn’t change things). To that I say, it’s no point in being effective if you’re effectively going nowhere, or just holding humanity back from reaching its full potential with fake information, just so you can experience being rich and sorta-powerful in one lifetime. Or think you can score a few myopic points and write history in a way that doesn’t last. There’s much talk about meta but not an actual discussion/understanding on how to generate or record it. I mean we’ve killed off some of the most talented Earth-born keepers of it in the last few hundred years, so…

Having said that, I still have hope. I’ve seen some really touching things from human beings who are still fighting the good fight. Maybe ‘fighting’ is somewhat inaccurate, but in our modern lexicon we haven’t seemed to have invented a more neutral/progressive expression of it. Food for thought.

In my craft (not talking about cinematography or art) there’s nothing to prove, I am already a leader of sorts in what I do. It’s not that I’m so great or anything, but you’ve got to respect what you got/do even before others see it. Any advanced adventurer out there should know that even if you don’t look as stereotypically “successful” as your proven practice, don’t take it personal. It’s (mostly) not you. I’m very aware that the work I’m doing now is so I can get my own work done. I appreciate the setup. It’s not easy. I’ll be honest, what I’m doing now is something you really have to want to do. I’ve seen some gifted who have “turned”. Not pretty. And not fun at all. The world throws you a lot of opinions and noise of what you can/can’t be or do, so you should be aware this is not really about you. Don’t be tied down, if you get yourself in a bind no problemo gtfo asap. The harping on purity is a joke, esp if no one else is held accountable for anything. There’s no such things as purity only desire and character. You set the standards, you have the intuition. Just gotta mind the gaps and go go go. I still work with my dreams and “subconscious” in these times, and luckily this helps cut through the bullshit and get to the point. You have to be saavy enough to identify, sometimes you get help doing this, then you can kick out any rubbish that tries to stick one in your subconscious. Rinse. Ignore. Continue. Not my problem, mate, am here to actually get stuff done – not just teach or do anyone’s homework. Duh.

What I do know about, is my commitment to doing good works for the world. I’m arranging it so that my work and earnings go towards causes I intuit are going into the highest good for us. Finding the strongest points of connection. Leaving aside just what is required for survival as a buffer, which in my case is relatively higher than normal because I come from a country (Singapore) that completely lacks the social infrastructure to support this. Then Switzerland has this thing where you are forced to take on disability/survivor pension as part of your work insurance coverage – I couldn’t believe it, I tried to drop the clause they said no, can only set the amount to minimum – which means if it ever comes down to it, I’m going to have to make arrangements to reroute any funds I consider inappropriate to receive for myself as an individual, into something I deem appro that goes back to communities/people I can believe in. What a doozy. This is the kind of stuff that just gets in the way of actual work. I’m carefully considering, looking. It’s not always the same answer over time. Sum of moving parts and targets. I’m good at finding things anyway (and people. And animals. And information {‘what sources, now?’}. And, and, and).

Alrighty that’s it for now. Used to write oodles. Defo not short on ideas here, but not keen on feeding the man-eating piranhas. Tempted to go on but, as I’ve learned, less is often more.

Wishing everyone well. The best is yet to be!!

-Yawen Schindhelm-Yeo
(yeah I got married, so what. I’m still me. Doesn’t change anything – except in the minds of the basic and misguided.)

(ps note – Btw, I’m Singaporean Chinese. Singapore adopted English as first language and became independent from the British decades ago, but no one’s been let into the Commonwealth since South Africa. Also, my previous Singapore studio on Starlight Road was near little India, my neighbours were Indian and some pioneer gen Chinese – nothing wrong with having friends. Indian Fine Arts Society was down the same road. I was already seeing a German-Swiss man and we’re now married. Nothing wrong with being multilingual – not a polyglot, mind you, I actually know people through work. And, if people’s minds go straight to the gutter and make all kinds of false links when they hear ‘single woman, work, artist, alone, Little India, migrant-worker neighbours’, well that says more about them than about me. Not my problem. My husband didn’t have a problem seeing the truth, guess that’s why he’s my husband, Ayt that’s it folks. Gotta get busyyy.)

One week later : no zombie apocalypse; Promised myself I’d write something up, not much time but here goes.

In short, last week’s SWAN meet was better than good! There had been limited slots for the event and more applicants than time would’ve allowed, so I’m grateful I was given the opportunity to attend. There was some great energy going about, I’m still buzzing from it and it’s not the coffee. Met some fine industry people, soaked in the positive vibes and advice. I’m still awed that everyone found (and took) the time to chat one-on-one, being super busy and all. I feel really blessed and inspired.

Sophie Maintigneux was inspiring, as a DOP who’s done over 70 films. She spoke in unfettered German with all the full nuances and Microsoft’s translator just wouldn’t keep up, so I made a mental note to myself – get as sharp as Uhura, ASAP! Additionally, I got to speak privately with several producers and DOPs/filmmakers in Switzerland, including a couple whose feature film was just entered to represent the country at the 93rd Oscars (best International Feature Film category, previously known as ‘Foreign Film’ category). Came away with lots of valuable insight. I owe thanks to the good people at SWAN, and the Solothurne Film Festival organisers for making the meaningful event happen. As for names – for one, I’ve learned that there’s a time and place for sharing information (I guess the privacy industry is gonna be huge bcs the internet’s not getting smaller and people aren’t treating each other any better).

Another thing I’ve learned – which some of the ladies said as much – is that in this day and age, you can’t afford to just have your eggs in one basket. You’ve got to have several things going at any given point, do your part and trust your work, and eventually something will yield. I’ve been listening and going with my gut instincts. So far so good, things have been moving real quick since.

It wasn’t always easy sticking to my guns and staying true to myself, but it’s sure paying off now in adulthood. The road to recovery has been long and hard, but I made it. And I have to make sure I don’t get involved with anyone or anything that wants to drag me back into a bad place with them. It’s as though I’m moving through the world in a new way, heart expanding outwards, with a sense of freedom and unlimited potential. Boy I’m glad I’ve managed to preserve that feeling. It’s a good feeling. A priceless feeling.

Time is strange; it matters less how long you take to put your work out, and matters more when you finally do. Would like to share more, maybe after the short film I’m shooting in the next weeks.

Yawen Schindhelm-Yeo
TRUEORIGIN/s/e

“The lawn and drive had been crowded with the faces of those who guessed at his corruption – and he had stood on those steps, concealing his incorruptible dream, as he waved them good-by.” – excerpt from “The Great Gatsby”, F. Scott Fitzgerald

OK, so ‘the dream’ is not impossible to achieve. It’s also not a farce, no dodgy business required. Although you do have to dream a dream that works for you.

It doesn’t matter where you start, it matters that you evolve and set yourself on the right path. But, the conditions are not going to be ‘perfect’. Any unrealistic expectations and single-minded fixations on stereotypes are social things that are gonna stop you from achieving if you don’t get saavy.

No one’s infallible or should have to aspire to that. We’re human beings, each unique, all with free will and the potential to achieve. We can choose who we want to be, without having to pretend to be someone else or conform to anyone else’s expectations beyond the laws of the land at the time. You can’t help it if someone’s already offended because of your background, if they have fixed ideas about who ‘should’ have the right to talk about certain things or connect. It’s especially obvious if they were happy with you but do a U-turn once they find out you’re not from the same place as them, get offended that you can relate to their culture or speak many languages. Maybe there are some things they’re unable to change their minds about, reliance on political correctness instead of genuine multi-cultural integration. In some places, your passion for life & humanity won’t be mistaken for arrogance to be put down, you’ll be welcomed and properly guided/supported in your leadership role and quest for authentic self-realisation.

In books, things are often written in black and white to illustrate a principle. But life is seldom so straightforward and many things that could be characterised as impossible, already happen. I think that anyone who builds their dreams from scratch have at least a little of that blinkered ignorance to contend with.

You’ll meet all sorts when you’re building your dreams. But if you don’t wisen up and keep moving, get crackin’, you’ll just get delayed meeting the ‘right’ people and getting real things done. Anyway at some point, you’ve just got to come to terms with the fact that not everything is yours to fix. Sometimes it isn’t about anything that you said or did per se. It might not even be about you. Everyone’s got their own baggage, things they brought over from their own past. You shouldn’t have to run after people and be too eager to lighten their load. Creative energy is precious and can be used for good. It really ought to be reserved for the good friends you have, and those good friends you’ve yet to meet, too.

There are some things that I could definitely help with, though. Yeap, did a bit of thinking and came up with 3 more rules for meself –

1 – Don’t drink more than you need to.

2 – Don’t have photos of yourself taken when you’re socially drinking.

3 – Don’t drink when untrustworthy people are around.

And 3 – very important. Mind out of the gutter if you went there (tsk tsk), those scenes I have in mind are PG.

It’s so easy. Could’ve saved myself a lot of trouble and maybe some friends too. But, what to do – not a saint! And, it’s not like one walks around events expecting to run into people who aren’t friendlies, or pretend to be open but end up being as easily offended as a narcissist – then try to destroy your happiness and attack your friends (the only reason you lose them)! Not that your happiness is destroyed if you’re well-centred and balanced.

In the meantime, I persist. Pretty excited about my projects, been going full speed ahead during the lockdowns, crammed sched for 2021/22. Don’t want to bang on about it. SWAN ‘s launching their Directory for Women professionals in the Swiss Film Industry soon, I’ll be there. So regarding everything – they’ll be up and out, when they’re up and out!

Till next time. Peace xo

Yawen Schindhelm-Yeo
Trueorigin/s/e
youtube.com/trueorigin

The monkeys come in day and night

to thwart the keen explorers

When creativity reaches height

they overwhelm in numbers!

A thought a word or hum of song

are dragged away like a bag

they just want you to come along

a zero sum game of tag

Ah monkeys near and far are the

bane of originality

distracting from your precious key

to the doors of destiny

The more you swing the more they swarm

one two after another

they oddly seem to mean no harm

but time lost makes a pauper!

Fatigued explorers go to space

to recollect their threads

Whisk themselves to some other place

with similar aligned heads

And when they venture out again

into the wide insane plane

with charged soul and rightness of brain

no more apes, ideas rain!

For when the monkey mind is stilled,

monkeys in the world are killed.

monkeys come from the warring head,

peace within renders them dead.

— Y. Schindhelm-Yeo

Author’s Note : This post-dada ditty describes a Creative’s process of harnessing their own unlimited soaring mind, effectively transmuting their own energies. Here, “Monkeys” are used as a metaphorical, abstract concept. It derives from a well-known, non-religious principle called the “Monkey Mind”. “No apes were harmed or insulted in the process,” Kapo the proud pink monkie says solemnly, giving his firm footstamp of approval, “So don’t anyone go off pretending there’s something to be offended about, now!”