As many young girls might know, puberty can a bloody nightmare. Literally. That’s the core theme in Amanda Nell Eu’s directorial debut, “Tiger Stripes.” In conversation at the V…
00:11:38
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:11:38
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
As many young girls might know, puberty can a bloody nightmare. Literally.
That’s the core theme in Amanda Nell Eu’s directorial debut, “Tiger Stripes.” In conversation at the Variety Lounge, presented by Film AlUla at the Red Sea Film Festival, Variety‘s executive editor of film and media, Tatiana Siegel, sat down with Eu to break down her body horror film.
“Tiger Stripes” follows Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal), an 12-year-old girl who starts to experience horrific physical changes to her body as she undergoes puberty, gradually transforming into a monstrous were-tiger. In addition to the supernatural changes she experiences, Zaffan must also deal with jealousy and bullying from her friend group, who seem more than happy to watch her struggle. The film is Malaysia’s entry for international feature at the Oscars. Variety reviewer Alissa Simon had this to say about the horror movie, “Eu’s smart script makes Zaff’s story into a parable about individuality and independence and whether to stay hidden in shame and fear or express one’s own power and freedom.”
Asked about her inspirations in making “Tiger Stripes,” Eu referenced a much-loved teen comedy, one releasing a musical adaptation early next year.
“‘Mean Girls, 100 percent,” replied Eu with a laugh. “I love ‘Mean Girls.’ It’s one of my favorite films.”
In addition to the rendering of mean teen girls in “Tiger Stripes”, Eu made sure to add a twist to the trope using her knowledge from the horror genre — with a little help from a blood-soaked prom queen.
“When I was a kid, I was really into horror films … It was my gateway to cinema. Of course, obviously, ‘Carrie’ was a big [inspiration],” Eu continued. “I love blood, I love monsters, I love all these kinds of things. It gives me so much pleasure.”
Eu’s fascination with horror isn’t just about its physicality, although that’s a large part of it. On an ideological level, it can be traced to her own desire to explore women in her storytelling — specifically, the representation of three-dimensional women that, for Eu, often finds its home in horror.
“Why I loved horror when I was a kid, it was because I think you could see female characters that were unlikable, that broke the rules,” Eu said. “They were portrayed as villains and they were portrayed as terrifying, but I loved that. That was really my first draw into horror and genre, was because the female characters weren’t traditionally perfect wives who fell in love … they were dark and they wanted things.”
Eu is optimistic about the future of the genre, noting a trend of more female directors making horror films about imperfect and potentially unsympathetic female characters. It’s a sign that there are a lot more stories to tell, ones that encompass the range of women’s identities and experiences.
“We’re telling it in our gaze, in our language, and we’re having these female characters but maybe coming more from us personally,” Eu said. “We have dark sides, we’re unlikable, and that’s the beauty of us.”
In terms of next steps, Eu is planning on writing a gothic in a Chinese setting with themes of motherhood, wifehood and postpartum psychosis. Having signed with the Gersh Agency, she’s also keen on exploring the global film landscape.
“Hollywood and LA is something that’s totally new to me in the industry, and I’m really excited and always open to see what’s out there,” Eu said.