MASTERPIECE MOMMY
Dorothy Sing Zhang
United Kingdom / China
During a visit to the hospital after a physical fight between Justine and her mother, the doctor delivers unforeseen news.
SYNOPSIS
After she suffers a fall, the doctor informs Tess of the potential presence of a lump in her breast, detected in the CT scan, and recommends a mammogram. Tess’s daughter, Justine, accompanies her to the appointment. While in the waiting room, Justine’s interior starts to shift, leading her to question her deep desires and the edges of the sharp bond between her and her mother, ultimately uncovering the true reason for their strained relationship.
INTENTION
My desire to write Masterpiece Mommy originated from my own experience of accompanying my mother to a mammogram appointment. I was moved and unsettled by the sight of her breast being compressed during the procedure; it felt strangely fantastical and fictional, yet we were facing something very real in the test results. It was an image that seemed to encompass something so complicated: our relationship, our future. I remember observing my mother during the procedure thinking there was a certain elegance and sophistication in what I was witnessing, and on the other end an unthinkable consequence. I believe the beauty of genre film lies in its ability to challenge existing notions. I aimed to create images not typically associated with musicals, such as the procedure of one during a mammogram, yet remaining pragmatic with the sound such as the noises of the machine and allowing it to motivate the music. I have always seen this story as a musical; the images, lyrics, and music were discovered in tandem, each one informing the other. Musicals, as a genre, allow us to suspend our disbelief, to go further and to express unexplainable feelings.
DIRECTOR
Dorothy Sing Zhang
Dorothy Sing Zhang studied Fine Arts at the University College of London, Slade, and pursued film studies at Ecole de Leth (Denmark) with Lars Von Trier and Jørgen Leth. In 2021, she directed the documentary BàBà (Festival du Nouveau Cinéma). In addition to her film work, she also released the monograph Like Someone Alive (2023, Art Paper Editions).
PRODUCER
Lily Ashton
Lily Ashton is a London-based emerging producer making narrative shorts. Her work includes Misnomer by Aella Jordan Edge and Mercury by Kyla Simon Bruce. Her latest short was funded by BFI NETWORK x Screen Cornwall and explores queer identity in older women. Her films picked up multiple awards incl. a BIFA longlist selection for Best British Short Film.
Genre
Musical, Drama
Length
15 min
Language
English
Shooting location
London, United Kingdom
Production companies
Iconoclast Films (United Kingdom)
Estimated budget
€ 147.617
Secured funding
private grant (China) - € 93.780, private investor (China) -
€ 29.260, own investment CI Projects - € 5.850, investment Industry Art -
€ 3.511, own investment Max Pittner (DoP) - € 3.511
Looking for
Post- Production, Additional Funding, Sales