Science Pitted Against 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 rural cult responsible for murdering people born via caesarean section. The cult believes these killings will restore nature’s balance, forcing the mismatched duo to confront their own beliefs about science, sexuality and spirituality.

The series marks another 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 including Jen-Fang Wang, Ting Chi-wen and Becca Chen alongside Yeo.

“The premise of the project is prompted by the increasing lack of trust in the sciences as observed during the pandemic in those who reject medical expertise,” says Yeo, whose “A Land Imagined” won best original screenplay at the Golden Horse Awards and served as Singapore’s Oscar submission. “The proliferation of information online has eroded our ability to make judgments, which has sometimes led to dire consequences.”

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

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

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

“This project is entirely set, developed and to be shot in Taiwan, with a Taiwanese cast,” says Stefano Centini of Volos Films. “It was conceived on the line of a Chinese language regional series who can reach to audiences in Asia and worldwide, and produced jointly with Akanga to reinforce the mutual collaboration between Singaporean and Taiwanese talents, with the goal to grow together and expand our possibilities and outreach.”

The producers are currently fine-tuning scripts and closing financing. “We are eager to find the right partners at TCCF,” says Fran Borgia of Akanga Film Asia. “As the project is conceived to be filmed in Taiwan, coming back 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 Spain-born producer based in Singapore since 2003, founded Akanga Film Asia and has produced acclaimed works including “Tiger Stripes,” “Apprentice” and “Stranger Eyes.” Centini, a Taiwanese-Italian producer, founded Volos Films in 2018 with a mission to bridge emerging independent Asian filmmakers with international talents.

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

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