North American Premiere
Young Meng is trying to find common ground with his emotionally distant father while coming to terms with the loss of his mother. The father’s inability to connect and provide comfort to his teenage son, coupled with the grueling nature of his job as an exterminator create a chasm between the two. Meanwhile, Meng is targeted by school bullies, forcing him to learn how to fend for himself. A stirring feature debut grounded in the complex father-son dynamic. Split into two distinct parts, the coming-of-age drama charts the boy’s journey from the stifling family home in a Singaporean urban jungle to military service in an actual jungle, where little by little he starts to understand who he is at the core. Wei wields his sharp cinematic gaze through an observational yet emotionally immersive style that captures profound moments of masculine tension and tenderness. The film is carried by the magnetic newcomer Edward Tan, who easily holds his own against the veteran actor-director Leon Dai in this heartbreaking dance of wills.
October 4 & 6: Q&A with director Jow Zhi Wei
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Leon Dai, Edward Tan, Julius Foo, Jay Victor, Lekheraj Sekhar
Singapore/Taiwan/France/Portugal
2023
Vanguard
In English and Mandarin with English subtitles
Bullying
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Fran Borgia
Producer
Fran Borgia, Jeremy Chua, Stefano Centini, Xavier Rocher, Ico Costa
Screenwriter
Jow Zhi Wei
Cinematography
Russell Morton
Editor
Alexandra Strauss
Production Design
James Page
Original Music
Ting Si Hao
Director
Jow Zhi Wei
Jow Zhi Wei attended Le Fresnoy (France) and Lasalle College of the Arts (Singapore). He was accepted in the Golden Horse Film Academy 2010 (Taiwan). He was also awarded the Young Artist Award by the government of Singapore in 2014. He has made three short films, Outing (San Sebastian International Film Festival 2010), Waiting (Busan International Film Festival 2010) and After The Winner (Cannes Film Festival – Cinéfondation Selection 2013).
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Whispers in the Woods
A luxuriant, healing immersion in nature with ravishing wildlife photography, this is the cinematic equivalent of "forest bathing," a trip deep into the Vosges, France, with photographer Vincent Munier (The Velvet Queen), his father and his son.
King Arthur's Night
John Bolton's film of Niall McNeil and Marcus Youssef's musical staging recreates Camelot at Harrison Hot Springs. It's a self-referential piece which joyfully reframes a classical narrative through the prisms of disability, inclusivity, and imagination.
Vivaldi and Me
Venice, 1716. Composer Antonio Vivaldi teaches at an orphanage for abandoned girls, and establishes a deep rapport with violinist Cecelia — but their collaboration is threatened by her impending arranged marriage.
Rose of Nevada
This disconcerting film from the director of Bait and Enys Men feels like a message from another era: two men sign on to a Cornish fishing trawler, but when they return to port they are welcomed into the community 30 years before they left...
Camp
Reeling from two devastating tragedies, Emily (Zola Grimmer) takes refuge at a summer camp for troubled youth, where she has been offered a position as counsellor. She finds friendship, but also something more unexpected, something truly troubling...