_{Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu}

So many excellent films can be attributed, at least in part, to the collaborations spawned at EAVE workshops over the years. One such film is Amanda Nell Eu’s Tiger Stripes, selected for Cannes Semaine de la Critique 2023. Yes, the film is a multi-territory co-pro emanating from Malaysia, but as soon as German co-producer Jonas Weydemann (Weydemann Bros) came on board after the pitch at EAVE’s 2019 Ties That Bind workshop, he knew that Ellen Havenith of Dutch outfit PRPL had to be a partner on the project too. Both were alumni of EAVE’s class of 2012.

But PRPL wasn’t brought on board merely to make up the co-pro numbers. Far from it. The €75,000 that Havenith was able to raise via NFF+HBF funding (an initiative jointly overseen by the Netherlands Film Fund and Hubert Bals Fund) represented a significant percentage of the film’s overall budget of €1.1 million. And the Dutch talent that Havenith brought to the film arguably defined the film’s visual look.

The synopsis of Tiger Stripes reads how, after a young girl’s first period, she discovers a terrifying, potentially savage, secret about her physical identity. She soon learns that only by embracing her true self can she possibly gain the freedom she craves, and reach her true potential.

Havenith lists the numerous aspects of the script that she found thrilling, and why she was subsequently determined to join the production. “It's a modern take on South Asian mythology in which almost always the biggest monsters are females. It's about embracing truly who you are so that you can be free. It's also about breaking out of the oppressive system of being a girl in Malaysia, a place where they feel when girls become women their ‘disobedient' behaviour should be literally exorcised.” the Dutch producer expresses.

“And it’s a first film - and it is a female gaze on the subject,” she further underlines.

In terms of genre classification, Havenith says it is a coming-of-age drama/horror, and part of the film’s horror component involves body transformation. And that’s where the Dutch contribution comes in, via the special effects make-up/prosthetics created by Rogier Samuels of MimicFX, to help design the very specific creature at the core of the story.

Despite the production having to overcome many hurdles in Malaysia, all the partners on the film remained steadfast. Malaysian producer Foo Fei Ling had to battle what Havenith describes as “the huge amount of Covid rules that that still applied for a long time” in Malaysia, and therefore the production had to be postponed on several occasions. All the time, the girls in the film were getting older, “which is very delicate in this 12/13/14 age range,” Havenith adds.

What’s more, while shooting, there were floods and power cuts to contend with. And they had to shoot in a very humid jungle, “which for this special make-up was quite a challenge.” On Havenith’s part, she had to apply several times for NFF+HBF support before she eventually received the thumbs up.

“So of course it took a long time, but all the co-producers worked together with a lot of respect. They all trusted each other, and the way the main producer involved everyone was very impressive.” Havenith continues of the collaboration. “It was blood, sweat and tears, mostly on the Malaysian side, but they fought for the film. And in the process there was so much goodwill and energy among all the producers and all the cast and crew involved.”

All of which means that audiences on the Croisette can now experience the first Malaysian film selected for Semaine de la Critique in its 62-year history, and the first ever film at Cannes made by a female Malaysian filmmaker.  “Not bad, right,” enthuses Havenith. “I mean, that's pretty amazing.”

Tiger Stripes' sales are handled by Films Boutique.

For a full overview on everything from the Netherlands at Cannes, click here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________