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Ang recalled feeling that adults did not always take children’s feelings seriously, even when those children were deeply affected by the decisions being made around them.<\/p>\n
“When I was young, I felt like the adults never took the kids very seriously,” she said. “There were a lot of things I wanted to tell my parents, but I couldn’t.”<\/p>\n
It was this desire to give children a voice that eventually drew her towards filmmaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ah Girl’s story is also about the lasting effects of childhood experiences and the possibility of breaking away from them.<\/p>\n
“We cannot change what happened when we were little, but we can choose what we carry forward and what we do not want to repeat,” Ang said.<\/p>\n
James Seah, who plays Ah Girl’s father, also saw the film as an exploration of how family experiences can shape future generations.<\/p>\n
“It’s about intergenerational trauma,” he said. “What you observe as a kid, from your parents growing up, it sort of creates who you are growing up, and their trauma might pass down to you as well.”<\/p>\n
Seah explained that although his character may appear distant from his children, he is also struggling with his own circumstances and trying to survive.<\/p>\n
Carrie Wong, who plays Ah Girl’s mother, added that the film marked her first appearance on the big screen after a decade in television. She said the role was unlike those she had previously played and required her to step outside her comfort zone.<\/p>\n
The film’s 1994 setting also held a personal connection for Wong: It was the year she was born.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ong Xuan Jing, who plays the titular character, said she hoped the film would touch audiences’ hearts.<\/p>\n
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