Director Tsou Shih-ching discusses the cultural themes and production history of her Oscar-shortlisted film Left-Handed Girl

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What's Happening

Director Tsou Shih-ching recently detailed how her debut solo feature, Left-Handed Girl, uses superstitions about left-handedness to examine gender roles and social expectations in Taiwanese society. The film, which is currently available on Netflix and has screened in theaters worldwide, was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards in December 2025. Tsou stated that she hopes the project encourages audiences to reflect on inherited beliefs and social frameworks that may constrain personal identity.

How We Got Here

The plot idea for Left-Handed Girl came from a high school memory when Tsou Shih-ching’s grandfather saw her using a knife with her left hand and told her the left hand was “the devil’s hand.” Tsou and co-writer Sean Baker traveled to Taiwan in 2001 to gather story material, but the project was shelved after funding proved nearly impossible because neither filmmaker had directed a feature at the time. Tsou later said the script was completed in 2010. Tsou Shih-ching stated that during her search for a distributor she rejected suggestions to film in New York, insisting the story required shooting in Taiwan because the night market is central to the plot. She said that decision reflected a commitment to place and cultural detail that she regarded as essential for the narrative to work. Tsou described keeping the setting in Taiwan as necessary to preserve the film’s local rhythms and social texture. Tsou Shih-ching stated that Left-Handed Girl finally secured financing in July 2021 when she and Sean Baker attended the Cannes Film Festival and spoke with the owner of a French distribution company. She said that meeting enabled the project to move forward after years of development. Tsou has also stated that making the film led her to rediscover Taiwan’s beauty and that she hoped the work would prompt viewers to reflect on beliefs they have inherited. Tsou Shih-ching stated that she uses the superstition surrounding left-handedness to examine gender roles and social expectations imposed on women. She said teachers in Taiwan often expected girls to fade into the background, and the film centres on how social frameworks and conventions can keep women from being themselves. The film screened in theaters worldwide and became available on Netflix by November 2025, and it was shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards on December 16, 2025.

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