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Deep Dive: Shirkers (2018)

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Shirkers
Shirkers is a documentary by Sandi Tan that recounts the making of an independent thriller featuring a teenage assassin in Singapore. The film centers around the events of summer 1992 when Tan, along with friends Jasmine Ng and Sophia Siddique, shot footage for what was intended to be Singapore's first road movie. After filming, the footage was left with their film teacher Georges Cardona, who subsequently disappeared with it, leaving the trio without their work. The documentary captures Tan's quest to recover the lost footage and reflects on the impact of this experience on her life and career. In 2011, after Cardona's death, Tan learned from his ex-wife that the footage was found, albeit without audio. This revelation prompted her to digitize the footage and create a new narrative around the original film's loss. The documentary includes interviews with Tan's friends and others connected to the project, providing insights into the making of Shirkers and the legacy of Cardona. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and received critical acclaim, winning awards and nominations.

Why Watch

  • •See Sandi Tan's unique filmmaking story.
  • •Meet the friends who helped create Shirkers.
  • •Find out about Georges Cardona's mysterious past.
  • •Follow the journey of lost footage recovery.

Did You Know

•Shirkers premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in January.
•The film won the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at Sundance.
•Georges Cardona was a photography mentor to David Duke in the 1970s.
•Shirkers was released on Netflix on October 26, 2018.
•The film holds a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 70 reviews.

Perfect For

Independent film enthusiastsFans of documentary storytellingSingapore cinema followers