For years, Shih-Ching Tsou has been the heartbeat behind some of contemporary cinema’s most human stories. Born and raised in Taipei, she moved to New York after graduating from Fu Jen Catholic University, earning her master’s in Media Studies at The New School. Her career began with Take Out (2004), a small, vérité-style indie she co-directed with Sean Baker. The two have since built one of the most fruitful creative partnerships in independent filmmaking, with Tsou producing Baker’s critically acclaimed works, including Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket.

Over a decade in the making, Left-Handed Girl is an emotional return to Tsou’s roots. Co-written and edited by Baker, the film was shot on location in Taipei’s busy Tonghua Night Market, combining the immediacy of street life with the intimate portrayal of a family. Tsou follows a single mother and her two daughters as they try to deal with a generational tension, unspoken secrets, and the push-and-pull between love and control. “Growing up in Taiwan, there was always a mold you had to fit into,” Tsou told me. “You couldn’t stand out, especially as a girl. This film is my way of finally breaking that mold.”

Through her collaboration with cinematographers Ko-Chin Chen and Tzu-Hao Kao, and Baker’s subtle editing touch, Tsou captures Taipei with warmth, turning the night market into a living metaphor for the hidden emotional lives of its characters. With Left-Handed Girl, Tsou reclaims her own story – and, in doing so, gives voice to countless women shaped by love, their own culture, as well as everyone else’s expectations.

Ahead of the film’s premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, I sat down with Shih-Ching Tsou to talk about her solo feature debut, reuniting with Sean Baker, and more.

“Left-Handed Girl” Review

VOA: Your film portrays very strong yet vulnerable women, including the little girl. How did you navigate their strength and vulnerability without losing that subtle emotional realism?

Shih-Ching Tsou: I think it came from all the different elements we put into the film. I wrote the script with Sean, and since he doesn’t speak Mandarin, we wrote it in English. We actually began in 2010 – quite a long time ago – and the idea itself goes even further back, to the early 2000s, when we first met. The story always stayed the same, but over the years, every time I went back to Taiwan, I kept adding new layers. I’d visit my family, spend time in the night market, talk to friends, and collect their experiences and stories. All those conversations eventually found their way into the film.

Even the news clips in the movie are real. I would see these unbelievable stories on TV and think, this could only happen in Taiwan – so of course, I had to include them. In the end, all those small details paid off.

VOA: The superstition around the “devil’s hand” becomes such a strong metaphor in the film. What did you want it to say about how cultural beliefs shape women and girls?

SCT: For me, the “left hand” is about much more than just the left hand. When I was growing up in Taiwan, there was always this mold you had to fit into – everyone had to be the same. It’s about conformity. People didn’t want you to stand out; they wanted to control the group because it’s easier to manage that way.

But it’s especially true for girls. You’re told to obey, not to talk back, not to express emotions or opinions. I read a review from Taiwan recently that said, “I-Ann cries when she rides her moped, and she cries again when she lies in bed – but she never cries in front of anyone.” I found that so sad, but it’s also very real.

VOA: So much of Left-Handed Girl revolves around what’s left unsaid between mothers and daughters. How did you explore those inherited silences – the things women hide or endure across generations – especially leading up to the climax?

SCT: I think that’s a core part of Asian culture – hiding the “ugly” parts and showing only the good. People care so much about saving face. Everyone wants to look perfect, like everything’s fine, even when it’s not. You can’t show vulnerability or imperfection.

I’m so happy that no one really predicted the ending, because I wanted that emotional release to come as a surprise. Every family has secrets, and when you hide them, the pain just grows inside. That’s what I wanted to explore – not necessarily from my own life, but from stories I’ve heard over the years.

VOA: The night market feels chaotic yet warm – full of life, but also emotionally isolating. How did you use that setting to mirror the inner lives of your characters?

SCT: The night market is such a huge part of Taiwanese culture. If you live there, you probably go at least once a week – it’s like a big, living community. When we got to know the people who actually work there, it felt like stepping into a big family. Everyone helps each other. People might think it’s dangerous for a child to run around in the market, but it’s not, because everyone knows everyone. You often see kids playing while their parents are working. It’s such a natural environment.

Many of those stalls have been there for decades – two generations, even. That’s what I wanted to show: the warmth and familiarity, but also what happens behind closed doors. Beneath that vibrant chaos, there’s still loneliness, still struggle.

VOA: Even though I-Jing is very young, she has such emotional presence. How did you work with such a young actor to bring that out?

SCT: She’s a genius. I originally wanted to do street casting, but she came recommended through an agent. She had already been acting in commercials for three years – since she was three! Her mother is a part-time actress, and she noticed early on that her daughter loved pretending and performing.

When I cast her, her mom told me, “You don’t need to hire an acting coach – I’ve been coaching her since she was three.” And she was right! They even had their own emotional techniques. For crying scenes, for example, they’d play sad music, and her mother would tell her a story, like: “Imagine you have a little puppy, but tomorrow the puppy will be sent away and you’ll never see it again.” It always worked.

VOA: Both Janel Tsai and Shih-Yuan Ma deliver incredible performances – their dynamic is stunning. How did you work with them on set to build that emotional truth, especially in powerful scenes like the birthday party?

SCT: It’s funny – we didn’t rehearse at all. I don’t believe in rehearsals. I give my actors the script, and if they have questions about the characters or relationships, we talk privately. I like having one-on-one conversations where I can explain the backstory and even share real stories from the night market. Because they’re all local Taiwanese actors, they understand the environment and culture deeply. Janel, for example, told me about her own family – very traditional and male-dominated – where sons were valued more than daughters. Those personal experiences helped shape their performances.

I trust my actors completely. I always tell them: You can improvise, but make sure you hit the key emotional beats. I don’t want to control them. I grew up in a very strict environment and hated it, so I don’t want to recreate that on set. I want everyone to bring their own creativity and individuality. We’re making the story together.

VOA: The film is also visually and technically stunning. How did you work with your cinematographers and with Sean on editing to create such a beautiful visual language?

SCT: The main cinematographer, Ko-Chin Chen, was someone I had in mind early on. I saw his first feature – also about a little girl in Malaysia – and I knew immediately I wanted to work with him. He was very young at the time, but a few years later, he won Best Cinematographer at the Golden Horse Awards, which confirmed I’d made the right choice.

During pre-production, we drove around Taipei together, scouting locations and discussing how to capture the city. We spent days breaking down the script and talking about perspective. From the beginning, I told him I wanted to show everything through the little girl’s eyes, so the camera would stay at her level.

He’s also a very free-spirited cinematographer. This was only his second time shooting on an iPhone – the first was a horror film – so it was a learning experience for both of us. Many people told me it would be impossible to shoot a real movie in an actual night market, but we made it work.

As for editing, Sean and I set up an online drive so he could watch the dailies remotely. He gave great feedback early on – like suggesting we capture more shots of the little girl’s hands and feet as she moved. After shooting, I went to Los Angeles for a week to help organise everything and add English subtitles so he could follow every take. Then I let him work freely. In fact, while he was on his Oscar campaign trip for Anora, he was still editing Left-Handed Girl in his hotel room at night.

VOA: Well, you ended up with a beautiful film – and fingers crossed for the Oscars.

SCT: Thank you so much.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of Shih Ching Tsou

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