The work of the Singaporean writer and director Giselle Lin, which is inspired by the impermanence of memory, connections and nature, has been selected for several international festivals. Her short film „Yi Yi“ (Time Flows in Strange Ways on Sundays) and her documentary I „Look Into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself“ both screened at Locarno while „Things“ featured at the Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg. She is currently developing her debut feature film, „Midnight Blue Spring“, with which she won the prize of the 2022 Locarno Residency.
What was your starting point for „Children’s Day“?
I grew up in a family of five girls and one boy. If you asked me to close my eyes and describe to you a scene from when I was eight, I can do it in great detail. I remember what my sisters and I used to do after school, I can tell you brand of snacks we liked to eat, the exact height we were, which school gate I would wait for my sister at to walk home together, the way the sun set in our childhood bedroom (the 5 of us girls shared one room), how pretty and put together my best friend was in school every day, the way my mother would look with our baby brother on her hip, how my father’s aftershave would smell as he disciplined us late into the night. Everything still feels close to me because I still feel like that eight year old girl most days. So I think the start of “Children’s Day” was just a desire to preserve everything (the textures, smells, and tastes) I could still feel and remember about my girlhood, so that one day should I forget, I can watch the film and be reminded.
Do you have a favorite moment in the film? Which one and why this one in particular?
My favourite moment in the film is the moment Xuan and her mother have the night before Children’s Day. Growing up my mother was never affectionate with us and always held us at a distance. She has never said “I love you” before or even hugged us. But the one time I remember I felt any warmth from her was when she was pregnant with my brother. I was at the age where I loved to just follow her around the house and observe her and she would allow me to but usually ignored my presence. One afternoon, I followed her into her bathroom and stood at the door as she sat on the toilet bowl. Suddenly she looked at me and said she was sorry that she was so busy with preparing for the baby, and that she wished she had more time in a day for us. I told her it was okay and that was that. As I thought about my mother who was once a girl, and about the kind of affirmation I wish I had received as a girl, I wrote what turned out to be my favourite scene.
What do you like about the short form?
I don’t agree with people who say the short form is just a gateway to make long form films. While that may be true, I like that there is so much to be explored in the medium of the short film. The short runtime forces you to really ask yourself “what do I want (need) to say?” It takes a lot of precision and deft control to utilise those few short minutes. Some of the best films I’ve ever watched have been shorts, and some of the best film friends I’ve made were through watching each other’s short films.
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INTERVIEWS
„Tout me semble toujours aussi proche parce que je me sens toujours comme cette fille de huit ans la plupart du temps. Je pense donc que le point de départ de Children’s Day, c’était un désir de préserver tout ce qui est encore tangible pour moi (les textures, les odeurs et les goûts) de mon enfance, afin qu’un jour, si je l’oublie, je puisse regarder le film et me le rappeler.“
Interview with Giselle Lin for Le Polyester
PRESS REVIEWS
„Every year, one or two lovely shorts come along that make an excellent case for the vitality and versatility of Kodak film. Using a soft, sun-hued colour palette bursting with light and emotion, the images of Children’s Day have a delicate nature to them, perfect for encapsulating the inner struggle of the eight-year-old Singaporean girl Xuan as she figures out what to wear. Usually, girls are all equal at her school thanks to the enforced uniforms, making this one-off-wear-what-you-want-free-for-all a source of tremendous angst for the thoughtful young kid. Capturing her familial and student dynamics with fleeting ease, this tender-hearted story is easily one of the standout Berlinale shorts.“
review by Redmond Bacon for Journey into Cinema
„In Children’s Day erzählt Regisseurin Giselle Lin einfühlsam, wie es ist, eine achtjährige Schülerin zu sein, auf der Suche nach Freundschaft und Zugehörigkeit, geprägt von einem autoritären Vater, der sich nicht scheut, das Kind zu demütigen.“
mention by Peter Bratenstein for zeitgeschichte online
„Dans Children’s Day (sélectionné en compétition), la Singapourienne Giselle Lin explore l’émouvant contraste qui se trouve entre le cocon rose dans lequel vivent des jeunes filles et les cruautés qu’elles doivent affronter, à la maison ou à l’école. Avec une poignante sensibilité, Giselle Lin déjoue les recettes du récit d’apprentissage dont les protagonistes devraient fatalement apprendre à s’endurcir pour affronter le monde : au contraire, Xuan apprend avant tout à accepter et chérir sa propre sensibilité.“
review by Nicolas Bardot & Gregory Coutaut for Le Polyester
reactions on letterboxd
Berlinale Shorts 