Human rights have become an issue which has been readily questioned in the Middle Eastern countries, and many claim that the world is in a state of political and economic crisis. This year’s Singapore edition of the Freedom Film Festival takes us beyond the surface of these issues through a series of 11 documentary films.

The festival takes place over two days on Nov 19-20 at our favorite indie cinema, The Projector. It originated from in Malaysia 13 years ago, with the main aim of encouraging local filmmakers to tell their stories revolving around human rights without hesitation or fear before it branched out to other countries. This year's edition makes it Singapore's fifth one, with three out of the 11 documentaries made by Singaporean filmmakers.

Freelance photojournalist Yeo Kai Wen directs The Disappearing Hills, a story of the people whose lives are affected by the changing natural landscape of Malaysia's Cameron Highlands while Claire Low's Heartware explores what loneliness is like in Singapore's aging population through a 59-year-old, single karang guni man. In Naked DJ, director Kan Lume captures veteran Singaporean DJ Chris Ho's reflections on Singapore upon visiting China for the first time. Other highlights include A Syrian Love Story, which was also screened at this year's Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) precursor festival, The O.P.E.N.; Indonesia's A Question for My Father about the film's co-director's journey in finding his biological father who used to rape him when he was young; Malaysia's Stories From My Father, which depicts a daughtry trying to connect with her estranged father who spent time in detention without trial from 1968 to 1974; and lots more.

The festival is not ticketed, so anyone can go and check the films out, although donations are highly welcome. For more information and the full line-up, check out their website.  

Check out their trailer here: