Nelicia Low’s hypnotic, suspenseful drama stars Liu Hsiu-fu as Zijie, a teenage fencing enthusiast with an agonizing uncertainty hanging over him. His big brother Zihan (Tsao Yu-ning) has just been released from detention after serving time for murder. Zijie is forbidden from seeing his sibling, but he reaches out anyway, and what follows is his attempt to figure out who to believe: Zihan, who insists he was wrongly convicted, or their mother (Ding Ning), who says justice was served.
Fencing makes a great metaphor for the aggression, misdirection, and strategizing we see play out over the course of the film. At times Zihan seems sincere and benevolent, but in other moments he exudes menace; the dynamic between him and his younger brother is different in every encounter, and the mystery at the core of their relationship generates a thrilling atmosphere of danger. Tsao gives a subtle, compelling performance, and as the wide-eyed, fearful protagonist, Liu is terrific.
Best Director Award, Karlovy Vary 2024
Media Partner
Community Partner
Liu Hsiu-Fu, Tsao Yu-Ning, Ding Ning
Singapore/Taiwan/Poland
2024
In Mandarin with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
John M. Lo, Daniel Young, Jennifer Jao, Lin Tien Kuei
Producer
Sam Chua Weishi, Jeremy Chua, Patrick Mao Huang, Izabela Igel, John M. Lo
Screenwriter
Nelicia Low
Cinematography
Michal Dymek
Editor
Nelicia Low, Eric Mendelsohn
Production Design
Marcus Cheng, Hsu Kuei-Ting
Original Music
Piotr Kurek
Nelicia Low
Writer/director Nelicia Low grew up in Singapore where she was a national fencer for five years, retiring after the 2010 Asian Games to pursue filmmaking. Nelicia received her MFA in film directing at Columbia University in 2018. Her short film, Freeze (2016), premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand ISFF and went on to screen at film festivals around the world including the Taipei Golden Horse FF, Busan ISFF, and Singapore IFF. She was selected for the 2018 Singapore IFF’s Southeast Asian Film Lab, 2019 Less is More European Film Lab, and 2017 New Waves: Emerging Voices of Southeast Asia director showcase. Nelicia’s debut feature, Pierce, is a fencing-thriller based on her love for her autistic brother and poses the question – What is love?
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
The 39 Steps
In our new film studies series, FRAMEWORK, film scholar Michael van den Bos explores the work of Alfred Hitchcock, across four monochrome masterworks. This week: The 39 Steps (1935), a witty and fast-moving spy thriller from Hitchcock's English period.
The Great McGinty
Preston Sturges' first film as writer-director is an omnivorous satire on endemic political corruption, the tale of a tramp who gets his entry into politics by casting 37 votes for mayor at $2 a pop. Eventually he'll be on the ticket himself...
To Be Or Not To Be
Strange but true: one of the greatest comedies of Hollywood's golden era was inspired by Hitler's annexation of Poland in 1938. Jack Benny is the renowned theatre actor whose performance of Hamlet is interrupted by the Germans.