Best of Fest Encore Screening
He Shuming’s directorial debut wowed audiences at the Busan International Film Festival and was Singapore’s official entry for this year’s Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. Ajoomma (Korean for ‘auntie’) is a heartwarming story of love and acceptance and… soap operas.
Auntie Bee Hua (Hong Huifang) is a lonely widow who loves to binge on Korean soap operas from her home in Singapore. Her son had promised to take her on a trip to Seoul but backed out at the last minute, leaving her to navigate the trip all by herself. When she becomes separated from her tour bus and loses her phone, Auntie (or Ajooma) falls in with an aged security guard, Jung Su (Jung Dong-hwan), who tries to help her despite their language differences. Hong Huifang puts in a touching star turn after a career of soap operas herself, and was nominated for Best Actress at Taipei’s 59th Golden Horse Awards for the best films in the Chinese language.
Director Biography
He Shuming is a Singaporean director who majored in Film and Animation at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore and received his MFA in directing at the American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI). He is the director of numerous, award-winning short films. Ajoomma (2022) is his debut feature.