Festivals - Fantasia 2020 : I WeirDo

By Mulder, 09 august 2020

Originally from Taiwan, filmmaker Liao Ming-Yi had no intention of directing a romantic comedy intensely relevant in this time of pandemic, but he did and we are lucky to have him. Shot with an iPhone, his first feature film is a success, thanks to an inspired art direction, carefully applied to every aspect. At the heart of the film are the performances of Austin Lin and Nikki Hsieh (both Golden Horse Award winners) as sympathetic misfits, which become even better when the story shifts from cute gags to the more dramatic theme of the impermanence of love.

Synopsis :
Intensely obsessive-compulsive and highly phobic of germs as well, Po-Ching lives a very precisely scheduled life, taking every precaution and leaving his apartment as rarely as he can. He’s alarmed when the grocery he habitually visits is closed, forcing a change in routine. As a result, though, he encounters Chen Ching, a young woman whose condition is comparable to his own. With an immense degree of awkwardness and anxiety, the two are drawn to each other. They complement each other professionally, match each other’s quirks and characteristics, challenge each other to get the most out of life. Things seem as perfect as an imperfect pair could hope for, but then something to dismay them occurs – falling in love has neutralized Po-Ching’s OCD, the very thing that binds them to one another.

I WeirDo
Written and directed by Liao Ming-Yi
Produced by Ivy Chen
Starring Nikki Hsieh, Austin Lin
Music by Hsu Chia-Wei
Cinematography : Liao Ming-Yi
Edited by : Liao Ming-Yi
Production company : Activator Marketing Company
Running time : 102mns

(Source : Fantasia 2020 Official website)