Director's Childhood Fuels Singapore Drama 'Ah Girl' After Decade of Shorts
Director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla spent over ten years developing her feature debut 'Ah Girl' through a series of short films, according to Variety.
Her first short featuring the character, 'Broken Crayon,' premiered in 2013. Ang says she always intended to make a feature but used the shorts as a training ground. She described the process as needing to master the basics before attempting something larger.
The film is told from a child's perspective. Ang focused on what the young protagonist observes and feels, not what adults might explain. A key plot point involves the child being asked to choose which parent to live with, a burden Ang says a seven-year-old should not bear.
Ang notes the film repeatedly shows the difference between an adult hearing a child's words and actually understanding their needs. The 1990s setting was chosen to highlight a child's helplessness when a parent leaves without the instant connection of a mobile phone.
Casting the lead took nearly a year, ending with newcomer Ong Xuan Jing. Ang prioritized finding a child whose personality matched the character over acting chops. She also avoided painting either parent as purely evil, portraying them as people who had children before they were emotionally prepared.
The film, which won awards at Rotterdam and Hong Kong festivals, is having its North American premiere as a Centrepiece selection at the Toronto International Film Festival.
