Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024, Busan International Film Festival 2024
Best Director, Karlovy Vary International Festival 2024
High school fencer Zijie’s older brother Zihan is being released early from juvenile prison, where he has served seven years for killing an opponent in a fencing match. Zihan vehemently insists on his innocence, and, behind their mother’s back, the torn brotherly bond gradually begins to heal as Zihan helps Jie perfect his fencing skills. But the initially energetic clinking of sabres is slowly drowned out by silent doubts: is Zihan really innocent? Nelicia Low’s gripping and atmospheric directorial debut offers a nerve-wracking duel between the ideals of brotherly love and the illusions that we project onto those close to us.
A former National Fencer for Singapore, Nelicia graduated in 2018 with an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University in New York. Her short film Freeze, about her relationship with her autistic brother, premiered at the 38th Clermont-Ferrand international Short Film Festival in 2016 and went on to screen at over 70 festivals around the world. She was previously selected for the 2018 Singapore IFF’s Southeast Asian Film Lab and the 2019 Less is More European film lab, and was chosen for the New Waves: Emerging Voices of Southeast Asia director showcase in 2017. Pierce is her debut feature.
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