The Shades of Love

Year
2020
Runtime
14 mins
Director
Jessica Lee
Language
Malay
Subtitle
English
Category
Documentary
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FreedomFilmFest2020 Film Grant Winner – Premiere

The Shades of Love is an intimate journey into the loves, lives and losses of 3 sex workers in Singapore. As an ordinary day in this city unfolds, the voices of these women take us beyond the everyday we dwell in, into the lived experiences they inhabit. Moving beyond the one-dimensional perception of sex workers, these women are also lovers, daughters, therapists, entrepreneurs, and educators. By shedding light on the humanity, dignity, and power of this marginalised and underserved community, their stories teach us one thing – love and life come in various shades.

Shades of Love adalah sebuah perjalanan intim menelusuri cinta, kehidupan, dan kehilangan buat tiga orang pekerja seks di Singapura. Di sebalik hari-hari biasa di kota ini, suara wanita-wanita ini membawa kita melangkaui kebiasaan kita, ke dalam pengalaman yang dilalui mereka. Meninggalkan pandangan satu dimensi tentang pekerja seks, wanita-wanita ini juga adalah pencinta, anak gadis, ahli terapi, usahawan, dan pendidik. Dengan menyuluhkan cahaya ke arah sisi kemanusiaan, harga diri, dan kuasa yang dimiliki oleh komuniti tertindas dan terasing ini, kisah mereka mengajar kita satu perkara – cinta dan kehidupan datang dalam pelbagai warna.

“I’ve always felt it’s important as a documentary filmmaker to use my work to shed light on the human condition, and the lives of those who may not feature in mainstream discourse. My hope as a filmmaker is that we understand the context upon which sex workers have chosen their profession, and more importantly, that they are more than just their profession. They are daughters, sisters, mothers, lovers, friends”

– Jessica Lee, filmmaker

A Freedom FilmFest2020 Film Grant Winner

The Lives and Loves of Sex Workers Jessica Lee, another of three winners of this year’s FreedomFilmFest2020 film grant for Shades of Love, drew inspiration for her film from a random conversation during the pandemic on the largely untold reality facing sex workers who were putting their lives on the line that made her resolve to amplify their stories. Her documentary is a testament to the reality of the sex industry in Singapore the majority of whom are migrants who face routine discrimination, harassment and always the threat of or actual violence. Shades of Love is set to premiere at FreedomFilmFest2020 following completion of full production this year.

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Read More: The Shades of Love” – Documenting Life Through the Voices of Singapore’s Sex Workers