Shih-Ching Tsou (Take Out) directs this script co-written with her longtime creative partner Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Anora) about single mother Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) and her two daughters, rebellious high school dropout I-Ann (Shoh-Yuan Ma) and precocious 5-year-old I-Jing (Nina Ye), who open a noodle stand at a bustling Taipei night market as they struggle to hold the family together. I-Jing’s superstitious grandfather, Wen-Xong Chen (Akio Chen), forbids her from using her left hand because it’s “the devil’s hand,” and tensions rise as family secrets are revealed. Director Shih-Ching Tsou will attend the screening and engage in a Q-and-A. (109 min.)
LEFT-HANDED GIRL
What’s it rated? PG-13
What’s it worth, Anna? Full price
What’s it worth, Glen? Full price
Where’s it showing? Sunday, April 26, 7:30 p.m., at the Palm Theatre; tickets at slofilmfest.org. The film is also available on Netflix.
Glen The first thing you notice about this film is its immediacy and intimacy. It feels fluid and organic in a way other films don’t because it was shot entirely on four iPhone 13 Pro Max cellphones with Beastgrip accessories on location in a crowded Taipei market. This cinéma vérité style creates an authenticity in the story. As the viewer, you feel like you’re there in the moment as the story unfolds. At its center is I-Jing, an adorable little girl who’s left-handed and doesn’t think anything about it until her grandfather brings up the stigma against left-handedness. Meanwhile, I-Ann is trying to have her own life and make her own money, leading to a lot of cringey mistakes and dangerous behavior. Shu-Fen has money problems made worse when she discovers her ex-husband is hospitalized and she feels responsible for his bills. It’s an engaging story that despite its bleakness manages to find moments of humor and warmth.
Anna I would have never guessed that this was all filmed on iPhones—it looks great and you’re right, it’s stylized in a way that’s immersive and evocative. I-Jing is absolutely adorable, round cheeked and all eyes. You can’t help but be protective of and a little scared for her as she navigates the bustling streets of Taipei. She’s asked to be grown beyond her years in many ways, but she can’t help but be a kid in many other ways, making kid mistakes, viewing the world with the lens of someone experiencing things for the first time. When her grandfather tells her that her left hand is the devil’s hand, he doesn’t realize the power he’s accidentally bestowing upon his young granddaughter. If that isn’t her hand, she can’t be held responsible for the things it does. Meanwhile I-Ann is making her own desperate mistakes, and their mother is just trying to hold it all together.
Glen Taipei is a character unto itself. It’s big and loud and neon-drenched but also made to feel interconnected, intimate, and energetic. The family has moved there for a fresh start, but it proves difficult, and they’re immersed with other people on the fringes struggling to survive. It’s an impressive directorial debut from Tsou.
Anna Life is a grind, and that’s certainly so for this family, but they soldier on. What Shu-Fen most desires from her kids is a good moral compass—not always the easiest thing to access when every day is a battle. It’s got tons of heart and is made with a very interesting view from the filmmakers. ∆
Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in April 23-30, 2026.