GIRL
Genre
Drama
Running time
125 minutes
Year
2025
Language
Mandarin and Southern Min (inc. Hokkien and Teochew)
Subtitle
English and Arabic
Country
Taiwan, China
Director
Shu Qi
Bio
Producer
Yeh Jufeng, Qin Hong
Cast
Yu-Fei Lai, Pin-Tung Lin, Roy Chiu, 9M88 , Bai Xiao-Ying
Scriptwriter
Shu Qi
Superstar Shu Qi, icon of Asian cinema and muse of Hou Hsiao-hsien, makes her directorial debut with this self-penned, deeply personal coming-of-age drama. In a cramped home ruled by abuse, young teenager Lin Xiaoli keeps her head down, caring for her little sister while her father’s drunken rages cascade into her mother’s cruelty. Everything shifts when she befriends Li Lili, a rebellious classmate who skips class, smokes and urges Xiaoli to challenge the family’s toxic status quo. As escape glimmers, Shu Qi films with poised restraint, observing at a remove and tuning the viewer to intimate, everyday textures with a quietly harrowing strength. Tender yet unsentimental, Girl finds fragile beauty amid hurt and announces a formidable new directorial voice.
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