Tan Ce Ding’s debut feature “Somewhere in the South” follows protagonist Boon, a restless young man in a forgotten Malaysian town who gets roped into wearing a political party’s tiger mascot suit during a sudden by-election, only to discover he’s losing himself inside.
The film, produced by Cannes Camera d’Or winner Anthony Chen alongside Edward Lim and Yap Khai Soon through Giraffe Pictures, is one of 17 in-development projects selected for the 24th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).
The drama-suspense hybrid, filmed in Mandarin, Malaysian Cantonese, English and Malay, marks Chen’s latest producing venture following Berlinale title “We Are All Strangers,” which he also directed. Tan directed short “Please Hold the Line,” which premiered at Venice in 2022.
“I’ve long admired Tan Ce Ding’s bold short films,” Chen said. “CD, as we fondly call him, is exactly the kind of exciting new voice we are seeing rise in Malaysian cinema. Our project at HAF, with its remarkable honesty and ambition, captures the growing confidence and urgency of this movement.”
Chen noted that the collaboration has been a long time in the making. “Over the years, CD, Edward and I have bounced around ideas for his first feature. Singapore and Malaysia are close neighbors, and I’ve wanted to work on a Malaysian film for the longest time — so this feels like the perfect place to start. This one is special and I look forward to working with him to elevate ‘Somewhere in the South’ for the international stage.”
Tan explained his affinity with the subject matter. “I’ve always been interested in people who exist on the margins of a system. In many declining small towns, young people grow up surrounded by a very clear reality: If you want a better life, you have to leave. But not everyone can leave, and many end up staying behind.”
The director said the concept of a by-election provided a compelling framework. “When a by-election takes place in a small town, media, politicians and resources suddenly flood in, briefly turning a place that was once forgotten into the national spotlight. In many ways, it can even become a kind of absurd political spectacle.”
He added: “I became curious about what that moment does to the people who have always lived there. For someone who has spent most of his life feeling insignificant, that sudden attention can easily create the illusion that his fate might finally be changing. That question eventually became the starting point of this film.”
Tan described the narrative as exploring identity and belonging. “The protagonist, Boon, is an ordinary young man in a small town. But when he is asked to wear the campaign’s tiger mascot suit, he experiences something he has never felt before. For the first time, he feels needed. He feels noticed. The role gives him a new identity, and with it, a sense of purpose and power.
“As the story unfolds, he slowly realizes that the system doesn’t really care about who he is. What it needs is simply the role itself. As long as someone is inside the suit, the system can continue to function,” the director said. “The feeling of finally being seen can be powerful, but it can also be fragile. The more he tries to hold on to that role, the further he drifts from his real self. In the end, he believes he has become the tiger, only to discover that he is merely the skin.”
Producer Lim outlined the project’s international ambitions. “In today’s landscape, films can no longer depend on funding or distribution from a single market. By participating in HAF, we hope to bring the project to an international stage, meet new friends and collaborators, and explore meaningful partnerships. We believe the film has strong potential to incorporate international elements and connect with audiences beyond our region.”
The project is seeking funds at the forum, where filmmakers will have opportunities for one-on-one meetings with investors, festival organizers and industry professionals.
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