Amoeba
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Polish premiereTheatrical Screenings
Kinoteka 3
Kinoteka 2
Film description
Sixteen-year-old Choo Xin Yu enrols at an elite girls’ school in Singapore. She is an outsider whose rebellion stems from constant humiliation - the judgment of her appearance, criticism of her clothing, and the suppression of her strong personality. Determined to make her presence felt, she forms a pact with three like-minded girls. Together, they create a gang built on sisterly trust and a love of provocation, aiming to shatter the rigid rules of patriarchy and conformity.
In her debut feature "Amoeba", Siyou Tan focuses on two key threads: the pressure to graduate with high marks and the emergence of an identity that does not fit societal norms. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film is a rebellious coming-of-age story that challenges the Singaporean myth of a nation built on false foundations, the lingering, postcolonial legends still shaping collective consciousness. It leaves the viewer with the impression that the Singaporean city-state is like an aquarium - beautiful and pristine, yet hermetically sealed and tightly controlled.
text:
Łukasz Mańkowski
Siyou Tan
A Singaporean director currently based in Los Angeles. She studied film and art at Wesleyan University and then received a directing fellowship at the American Film Institute. She has also participated in the Berlinale Talents Tokyo, Busan Asian Film Academy, and Universal Director Initiative programs.
Her short films, "Cold Cut" (2024), "Strawberry Cheesecake" (2021), and "Hello Ahma" (2019), premiered at festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Toronto, Locarno, and others.
“Amoeba,” her feature-length debut, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
2019 Hello Ahma (short)
2021 Strawberry Cheesecake (short)
2024 Cold Cut (short)
2025 Ameba / Amoeba
