SINGAPOREAN filmmaker Anthony Chen has finished shooting his latest flick “The Breaking Ice,” starring young Chinese stars Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran and Qu Chuxiao.

Written and directed by Chen, the film follows the blossoming relationship among three adults in their 20s, set over a short few days in winter. It was shot in Yanji, a border city in Northeast China’s Jilin Province.

“It was a very memorable experience especially for someone who has grown up in tropical Singapore adjusting to minus 20 weather,” said Chen. “I shot rain in ‘Wet Season,’ snow and ice in ‘The Breaking Ice.’ Next I would love to work with lots of sunshine. I was blessed with an amazing cast and crew who gave so much to the film. By the time I was out of quarantine, we only had three weeks to prep an entire feature. But we pulled it off with everyone’s dedication. It was a leap of faith for all of us.”

This is Chen’s second time working with Zhou. He directed her and Chinese actor Zhang Yu for Chen’s 24-minute segment of the pandemic anthology “The Year of the Everlasting Storm,” produced by Neon, which premiered at Cannes last year.

Hailed as one of Asia’s brightest young directors, Chen competed in the shorts competition at Cannes in 2007 with “Grandma” and won the Camera d’Or with his debut feature “Ilo Ilo” in 2013. His sophomore feature “Wet Season” premiered in competition at the Toronto International Film Festival. Both films were selected as Singapore’s official submissions to the Oscars.

“The Breaking Ice” is produced by Meng Xie and Chen under new banner Canopy Pictures, which finances along with China’s Huace Pictures.

(SD-Agencies)