87: Sandi Tan on “Shirkers"

Winner of the 2018 Sundance Directing Award for World Documentary, Sandi Tan makes her debut with “Shirkers,” now on Netflix. She grew up in Singapore. As a teenager in the 1980s, she had an outsider’s sensibility, obsessed with punk rock, fanzines, and indie film. She took a film class from a middle-aged American man named Georges Cardona who became her mentor, friend and ultimately the thief of her dreams. At age 19, Sandi wrote and starred in a fiction film called “Shirkers.” Cardona was the director, but after production, he took the footage and never gave it back. Twenty-five years later, Sandi goes in search of what happened to her film and the circle of friends who made it.[powerpress]Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Sandi about the making of “Shirkers.” The conversation contains spoilers, so do yourself a favor by watching the film first on Netflix. (The film also plays on the DOC NYC Short List with Sandi at a Q&A on Nov 9). There’s a bonus near the end of the podcast where Sandi describes her connection to the cult Singapore action film “They Call Her Cleopatra Wong.”