Left-Handed Girl review – striking Taiwanese family drama is a real marvel

Shih-Ching Tsou and frequent collaborator Anora’s Oscar-winning auteur Sean Baker have created an affecting and original film of both humour and pathosThere are few things in a culture as ridiculous and potent as its superstitions. Left-Handed Girl’s I-Jing, a sweet five-year-old who has just moved back to Taipei with her mom and older sister, gets literal firsthand experience when her grandpa admonishes her for using her left hand for everything – it’s not natural; it’s the devil at work, he says.When I-Jing stares at her appendage with dismay, so begins a new relationship between her and her devil hand as she navigates city life. Shot entirely with iPhones, debut solo director and co-writer Shih-Ching Tsou (the other co-writer is Tsou’s frequent collaborator, Anora’s Sean Baker) summons the frenetic energy and sensory experience of Taipei. There are bright red Chinese characters overtaking the glass windows of a pawn shop; the pleasant melody of trash-collecting trucks; the easy ping-pong of Mandarin and Taiwanese between generations; lush trees against grimy buildings that can nearly make you smell the specific essence of a bustling, wetter city. It’s not so much a love letter from a fan as it is a devotional to a place known by heart. Tsou pairs the kaleidoscopic fragments of the city with the splinters of imperfect people – poignantly and tenderly showing what it means to be a family in Taiwan, and delivering a triumph of a film. Continue reading...

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