Science takes on spirituality in cult series ‘The Fundamentals’

A cross-border collaboration between Taiwanese and Singaporean producers has brought a provocative crime thriller to Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), exploring the tension between scientific rationalism and spiritual belief systems through the lens of a chilling murder investigation.

“The Fundamentals,” from acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua, follows a superstitious small-town police officer who teams up with a fact-based big-city investigator to uncover a nationwide cult responsible for the murders of people born via C-section. The cult believes these murders will restore balance to nature, forcing the mismatched duo to confront their own views on science, sexuality and spirituality.

The series marks a new collaboration between Volos Films and Akanga Film Asia, following their work on “Stranger Eyes,” which premiered in competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and opened the 61st Golden Horse Awards. For “The Fundamentals,” the partnership has assembled a Taiwanese writing room that includes Jen-Fang Wang, Ting Chi-wen and Becca Chen alongside Yeo.

“The premise of the project is inspired by the increasing lack of trust in the sciences, as observed during the pandemic among those who dismiss medical expertise,” said Yeo, whose “A Land Imagined” won best original screenplay at the Golden Horse Awards and served as Singapore’s Oscar entry. “The spread of information online has eroded our ability to make judgments, sometimes leading to serious consequences.”

Wang, a specialist in suspense and female-centric stories, was drawn to the series’ philosophical underpinnings. “What drew me to ‘The Fundamentals’ was the refreshing core conflict between the reverence for nature and the dominance of human science,” she says. “Through its characters, the series reflects on the idea of ​​faith: in our modern age, science has become its own kind of faith.”

The writer praised Yeo’s approach to embedding complex ideas into genre entertainment. “What I find most fascinating about ‘The Fundamentals’ is how such a high-minded philosophical premise is told under the guise of an entertaining crime thriller,” says Wang. “Beneath the tension and emotional entanglement between the characters lies a deeper, thought-provoking meditation on faith, nature and human vulnerability.”

The project represents an evolution in the producers’ cooperation strategy. After participating in the Golden Horse FPP Series market and the Serial Bridges Asia workshop, the team is now pitching to TCCF with a view to production in 2026.

“This project is set, developed and shot entirely in Taiwan, with a Taiwanese cast,” said Stefano Centini of Volos Films. “It was conceived along the lines of a Chinese-language regional series that can reach audiences in Asia and around the world, and was co-produced with Akanga to strengthen mutual cooperation between Singaporean and Taiwanese talents, with the aim of growing together and expanding our capabilities and reach.”

The producers are currently refining the scripts and securing financing. “We would like to find the right partners at TCCF,” says Fran Borgia of Akanga Film Asia. “As the project is intended to be filmed in Taiwan, returning to Taiwan to attend TCCF provides the ideal platform to connect with collaborators who share our vision. We are excited about this partnership between Taiwan and Singapore and the creative possibilities it continues to open.”

Borgia, a Spanish-born producer based in Singapore since 2003, founded Akanga Film Asia and produced critically acclaimed works including ‘Tiger Stripes’, ‘Apprentice’ and ‘Stranger Eyes’. Centini, a Taiwanese-Italian producer, founded Volos Films in 2018 with a mission to connect emerging independent Asian filmmakers with international talent.

The series aims to balance regional specificity with global appeal, tapping into universal questions about belief systems and grounding its story in distinctly Asian cultural contexts. Wang noted that the story treats different belief systems – Taoism, indigenous spirituality, Christianity and the fictional cult – as equal, positioning none as superior to the other.

“There are many mysteries in this world that even the strongest science cannot fully explain, yet faith itself has extraordinary power – as long as it remains steadfast,” says Wang.