Amoeba

Sixteen-year-old school dropout Choo has been transferred to a rather authoritarian elite school in Singapore. Her rebellious behaviour towards the tyrannical teachers goes down well with the other misfits in her class: Sofia, Gina and Vanessa. Before long, the four are inseparable friends. They find an unexpected ally in Uncle Phoon, Sofia’s family’s chauffeur. He regales them with fascinating tales from the past, about the rebellious triad gangs of colonial Singapore. This gives the friends the idea of starting a gang of their own. But how do you do that in a city where even chewing gum is banned? Regardless, life after graduation is also drawing ever closer.

This witty coming-of-age story, the self-written feature film debut of Singaporean director Tan Siyou, tells of a close friendship born out of resistance to prevailing norms, of what it’s like to stand apart from the surrounding world and flourish in isolation, just like the single-celled amoeba.