After a decade since he first came to the Philippines for his first film ‘Ilo Ilo’ (which stars Filipina actress Angeli Bayani), Singaporean film director Anthony Chen is back, this time for his latest work, ‘The Breaking Ice.’ It was a fitting Closing Film for the highly successful 2023 QCinema Film Festival—having been a regular name in the annual event.
As if there’s no stopping ‘The Breaking Ice,’ it’s having a limited theatrical release in the country stating December 13, exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas as presented by CreaZion Studios.
During our exclusive interview with this acclaimed filmmaker, he expressed his surprise at the profound impact the film had during its premiere in the Philippines through QCinema 2023.
“It was a very responsive audience. [They had] very good reactions. I’m hearing a lot… I was surprised that a lot [of] young people felt deeply about the emotions and issues in the film.”
He added that he made the film for the new generation.
“I hope more and more young people will connect with it. I literally made it for this current generation—what we call the Gen Z generation—who might feel lonely or lost or stuck in their lives. And I’m hoping that this film would really connect with them.
The Breaking Ice follows the journey of three twenty-something individuals navigating the complexities of their lives, discovering comfort and companionship in each other amid the harsh winter chill in northern China.
He describes his film ‘The Breaking Ice’ as “the warmest winter film” emphasizing its blend of darkness and light.
He explained, “It’s a mixture of darkness and light. It’s about young people feeling lost and stuck, and feeling trapped. But at the same time, it’s about most of them figuring out how to get out of this darkness.”
Furthermore, he discussed the genuine portrayal of mental health struggles in the film giving viewers a genuine perspective on the challenges faced by young people through each of the characters in the movie.
“If you look at the male protagonist, Hao Feng, he’s struggling with mental health. He has got depression, it’s quite clear, and I think it’s quite a prevalent problem right now… especially in a very, very fast-paced, very stressful urban cities… It’s something that you read about. I’ve been reading blogs and watching vlogs during the pandemic and life is not easy for young people.
“… But I like to say that at the end of the film, he has figured a way out…He stayed alive and I don’t think he would try and try kill himself anymore.”
In the realm of filmmaking, he pointed out that ‘The Breaking Ice’ differs significantly from his previous works. He shared insights into the kind of filmmaker he sees himself as.
“’The Breaking Ice’ is very, very different from my previous films, like ‘Ilo Ilo’, [and] ‘Wet Season.’ Even the other film that I made last year—I made two films last year. I made my first English-language film, called ‘Drift’. But I think I’m a humanist filmmaker. I’m a filmmaker that is quite restrained, quite subtle, quite quiet. Hopefully my cinema is poetic as well. But in the end, for me, filmmaking is about revealing and discovering the human condition. And that’s what I do I explore and sort of look and reflect upon our humanity.”
Anticipate the upcoming screening of ‘The Breaking Ice’ in Philippine cinemas starting December 13, where Anthony Chen’s compelling storytelling awaits.
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