Prepare to be won over by the vibrant “Left-Handed Girl” from director / writer Shih-Ching Tsou. Tsou is stepping back into the director’s chair for this charming and dramatic film. A perennial collaborator of Academy Award winner Sean Baker (who serves as co-writer, a producer, and the editor for the film), the duo first collaborated as co-directors/co-writers/co-producers on “Take Out.”
We spoke to her about the challenges of shooting in Taipei’s actual night markets, of working with children AND animals, and superstitions. The film is serving this year as Taiwan’s entry for Best International Feature for the Academy Awards, it’s a love letter (that pulls no punches) to the vivacious capital.
More about “Left-Handed Girl“:
A single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei after several years of living in the countryside to open a stand at a buzzing night market. Each in their way will have to adapt to this new environment to make ends meet and maintain the family unity. But when their traditional grandfather forbids his youngest left-handed granddaughter from using her “devil hand,” generations of family secrets begin to unravel.
The film stars Shih-Yuan Ma, Janel Tsai, and Nina Ye. Nina Ye is a name you’ll want to remember, as discussed in the interview the young superstar has already spent more than half her life on screen and in ads. Her performance in the film is nothing short of earnest and grounded. It’s impossible not to be charmed by her.
“Left-Handed Girl” is streaming now on Netflix.
