Documentary, by Ian McGonigle, 2024, Singapore.
We have become more entangled in technology than ever before. The distinctions between work and home, between leisure and toil, and between concentration and distraction are increasingly blurring. How should we respond to this crisis, and where might we find the wisdom to navigate the onslaught of the digital invasion? One source of wisdom lies in the world’s ancient religious traditions. This film explores the practices and habits of community leaders and practitioners of major religious groups in Singapore, one of the world’s most technologically advanced nations. Technologies of the Soul shows us how the ancient traditions of Asia have adapted rituals, sacrifices, prayers, Sabbaths, and other techniques of the self to create a space outside of time to maintain peace and serenity.

Director Bio - Ian McGonigle
Ian McGonigle was born in 1984 in the town of Drogheda in the Republic of Ireland. His father was an electrician and his mother ran a nursery school. He grew up in the small town of Skerries in north County Dublin, where he spent his youth racing sailboats. He studied at Skerries Community College and Trinity College Dublin, where he studied science. After graduating, he went to King's College, Cambridge, for a PhD in biochemistry, where he got sidetracked by anthropology, which led to a master's degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago and a second PhD, in anthropology and Middle Eastern studies, from Harvard University. His dissertation, "Genomic Citizenship," received the Association for Middle East Anthropology Dissertation Award and was published as a book by MIT Press. In 2018, he accepted a Nanyang Associate Professorship at NTU Singapore with a fellowship to launch a research group "Science and Society." His first documentary, Redemption: Wine and Prophecy in the Land of Israel, won several awards at international and independent film festivals.

Director's Statement
The room suddenly went dark, but we continued to sit at the dinner table and chat about the weekly Bible portion late into the night. Since Orthodox Jews are not allowed to use electrical technology on the weekly Shabbat, the lights were set on a timer to turn off when it was time to sleep. While spending a year in Israel doing anthropological research for my PhD on the formation of Jewish national identity, I became fascinated by the ways in which ancient religious traditions have adapted to integrate technology with their long-held beliefs and practices. A few years later, after taking a job as an associate professor of sociology in Singapore, the so-called Smart Nation, I began to discover the extraordinary religious diversity of the island. I was curious to see how Asian traditions have responded to recent technological developments. This film is the product of interviews with leaders and practitioners of the ten officially recognized religions in Singapore, along with perspectives from experts and scholars on technology and the good life. I hope that by understanding the techniques of the self that have been preserved for thousands of years, we can be better equipped to embrace today's technological possibilities while maintaining a good life.

LANGUAGE: English
SUBTITLES: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese