Girl was the directorial debut of SHU Qi. It was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated films at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. Girl marked SHU Qi’s first step into directing. It captured immense attention at the event. SHU Qi is a regular presence at Cannes, Berlinale, and the Venice Film Festival. Her first arrival behind the camera sparked curiosity. People wondered about the cinematic world she would create. They were curious about how she would translate her decades of experience as an actress into her own directorial work.

The excitement ran deeper than curiosity. Girl is, at its centre, a profoundly personal work, one that derives from her own childhood memories. It tells the story of a girl called Lin Xiao-li (BAI Xiao-ying) living in a tense family with an alcoholic father (Roy CHIU) and a violent mother (9m88). She has to live cautiously under the roof, enduring domestic violence from her parents. Sharing such a private narrative on screen is more than bold. It is an act of vulnerability. It also shows her absolute trust in audiences. She reveals the most unguarded side of herself, and this daring openness gives the film its pulse.

SHU Qi mentioned at the 82nd Venice Film Festival that, because of HOU Hsiao-hsien, she became a director. The greatest lesson she learned from him was to bring characters vividly to life. HOU has been an important mentor in her career. He guided her through some of her most acclaimed performances. These include films like Millennium Mambo (2001) and Three Times (2005). By chance, Girl features a significant location tied to their past work together. This location is the Keelung Zhongshan Bridge, also known as the “Millennium Mambo Bridge” after HOU’s film. This unintentional overlap is an unplanned tribute to the formative figure of her artistic path.

HOU is known for his signature use of long takes. This creates space for emotions to unfold naturally. It allows stories to grow at their own pace. His influence can be traced in Girl. The opening scene, set in rural Taiwan, recalls the framing and colour palette of HOU’s cinema. In the trailer, there is a shot of Lin Xiao-li (BAI Xiao-ying) crawling towards a hole. This is followed by a close-up of a papaya tree, a sequence that brings to mind TRAN Anh Hung’s The Scent of Green Papaya (1993).

Throughout the film, some scenes may remind audiences of other directors and their cinematic languages. This is to be expected from a first-time filmmaker who is still finding her own expression. As an actor, SHU Qi has worked with a wide range of directors, and their aesthetics have inevitably left traces. Girl is the meeting point of these influences. This marks her first step in creating a style that is uniquely her own.

Unlike other films, there isn’t a main storyline driving the narrative forward in Girl. Instead, the relationships between characters are demonstrated through fragmented events and moments. Because of this, the film reads more like Lin Xiao-li’s diary. It captures her perspective as a daughter navigating her family and school life. Hence, audiences might lack a comprehensive understanding of the characters’ behaviours and their motivations. Consequently, the characters sometimes come across as unconvincing. As an audience member, I do not mind seeing a stereotypical drunk father. However, I need to know what makes him who he is today. Otherwise, it is hard to truly sympathise with him and to anticipate the following plot.

It becomes clearer in specific scenes. The wardrobe is a key item in the film. Lin Xiao-li hides inside it whenever she wants to escape from her father. Yet, once she hides, the camera does not continue exploring what happens next, leaving us wondering, “And then?” Without consistency in the plot, the scene loses its power. At times, the film flashes back to Ajuan’s (9m88) youth, hinting at how she met her husband at a coach station. These scattered flashbacks, while potentially rich with meaning, lack the framing needed to integrate them smoothly into the present timeline.

Overall, the screenplay seems to struggle with character development and coherence. In the eagerness to express personal feelings, the clarity of the story is sometimes sacrificed. As a result, this may lead to weaker performances by actors. SHU Qi shared at the Toronto International Film Festival recently that Roy CHIU put a lot of effort into building his character. He tanned to fit into the role of a mechanic. He also gained weight for this purpose. However, these efforts helped little when we perceive the character on screen. He is an excellent actor who is capable of interpreting sophisticated roles in his previous work, such as Dear Ex. It is a pity that, in Girl, his talent is not fully displayed. Instead, it is a surprise to see 9m88, who is a renowned musical artist in Taiwan, take on the role of a mother as the leading actress. Her performance seems effortlessly natural for an untrained actress. She is a promising talent.

In addition to the leading trio, the film features many familiar faces from Taiwanese cinema. Bamboo CHEN plays the uncle of the father, Peggy TSENG appears as the owner of the beauty salon where Ajuan works, and Angel LEE and Esther LIU respectively play the roles of a school nurse and a hostess. If you keep up with Taiwanese cinema, you will instantly recognise these actors. This again proves SHU Qi’s remarkable influence back home.

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Written by Jane Wei

Featured image courtesy of TAICCA

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