(NÜHAI)

Taiwanese star Shu Qi, known for her work in Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s films (The Assassin; Millennium Mambo) makes her directorial debut with this stark, deeply personal coming-of-age drama. Set in 1980s Taipei, teenager Hsiao-lee navigates a poisoned home life, enduring her alcoholic father’s rages alongside her exhausted mother and younger sister. When she befriends classmate Li Lili, also from a troubled home, a new life opens up for her. Through captivating, potent performances, Yu Jing-Pin’s luminous cinematography, long static takes, delicate details and poetic impressions–ambient sounds, close-ups of fleeting visions like a red balloon escaping a school bag – Shu Qi creates an immersive and tenderly poignant portrait of pained adolescence.

Festival selection/awards: Winner Best Director, Busan International Film Festival 2025; Official Selection, Main competition, Venice International Film Festival

Screening as part of East Asia Film Festival Ireland 2026