The Last Artisan

Dismembered limbs Topless mermaids Crabs with human heads These Chinese folklorethemed statues in all their surreal grotesque glory are seared into the mind of Singapores Haw Par Villa But no one knows them as well as Teo Veoh Seng Decades ago he started out as an apprentice at the park which opened in the 1930s now at 83 Teo has finally decided to retire Though his successors prepare for his departure what will be lost when the master craftsman steps down Interspersing interviews with animation this documentary weaves personal and national histories into the portrait of an unlikely Singapore hero It sheds light on an artisan whose quiet dedication has preserved a uniquely charming slice of a city hounded by rapid urban developments