Amoeba

The line between free-living and parasitic existence as a teenage girl is carefully walked in Siyou Tan’s debut feature film which explores the pitfalls of conformity and the consequences of going astray.

16-year-old Choo Xin Yu (Ranice Tay) is the new student at an elite all girls school. Instead of doing her best to fit in and comply, Choo Xin Yu quickly forms a girl gang with three others.

The authoritarian backdrop of their competitive school becomes a symbol and reflection of their day to day existence in Singaporean society, with the school uniform being the only thing the young women comply with. Choo Xin Yu turns the camera on the world, the way she wants to see it. With glimpses of what the gang choose to document, through their eyes and perspective, Tan creates a compelling tapestry of loyalty, righteousness and sisterhood, making the paths and broken bonds harder to stomach.

Whether within the schools walls, inside of a teenage girl’s bedroom or on  the streets of Singapore, Amoeba explores coming-of age under authoritarian rule, capturing the changing face of Singaporean identity and the desire to remain young while longing for real life to begin.  (ISRA AL KASSI)