FOR IZZY is a narrative feature drama filmed in a documentary format infused with elements of magical realism. It tracks the story of what happens after a retired divorcee, Anna, and her lesbian daughter, Dede, struggling with addiction move next door to a lonely widowed father, Peter, and his autistic adult daughter, Laura.
Anna, a burnt out investment banker who feels cheated by time and parenthood, finds a companion in Peter, a lonely accountant whose life revolves around his only daughter Laura. Their unexpected romance brings lightness and energy back into their lives, a second chance.
Dede, an unemployed photojournalist, is getting over a broken engagement. She wants to prove to her mother Anna, and to herself, that she can be responsible, but struggles with addiction. Laura, a high-functioning autistic, yearns for independence from her well-intentioned, but extremely protective father. An unlikely pair, Laura becomes a key to Dede’s sobriety, and Dede becomes Laura’s window to the outside world.
As old demons surface, their relationships are tested. In the end, through an act of blind courage, they overcome adversity to become a family.
Technical Specifications
84 minutes, 2018, USA
English and Cantonese (with English subtitles)
1.85:1, color
written and directed by ALEX CHU
starring MICHELLE ANG, JENNIFER SOO, ELIZABETH SUNG, and JIM LAU
cinematography by IRVIN LIU
animation by NATALYA SEREBRENNIKOVA
edited by PETER ROBERTS
produced by MICHELLE ANG, JENNIFER SOO and MICHAEL G GRAY