Set in Singapore, a young teacher presses for the truth from a maladjusted student. This leads to devastating results and they suffer the ignominy of losing everything that matters to them. The story holds a mirror up to society, where a mistake can derail a life in an overly pressurized world.
Vivian Ip is a writer, director and producer from Singapore. She holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honors from Durham University (UK) and worked as a corporate lawyer for four years.
She has since adapted her legal skills to filmmaking and graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts on an Entertainment Partners scholarship. Vivian is also a member of the BAFTA Los Angeles Newcomers Program and an alumna of the ARRI Support and Education (ARRise) Program.
Most recently, Vivian made her directorial debut with her graduate thesis film AN ISLAND DRIFTS (2021), filmed with love in her home country. In addition, she produced HEADLOCK (2020), a Student Academy Awards finalist, an official selection in Dances with Films and Urbanworld Film Festival, and a USC First Look winner in the Social Change category, where she received the Best Producing Award.
Vivian’s filmmaking practice is centered on exploring the human condition, as well as bringing authentic and underrepresented voices to the forefront.
Director’s Comment:
Through a realistic lens, AN ISLAND DRIFTS gives audiences an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who experience pressing expectations and insurmountable pressure, where second chances are hard to come by and one mistake could ruin everything in the end. It hopes to show what happens when the heart longs to fix something broken, that can no longer remain perfect.
The overarching theme is the individual versus society, where too much pressure is the norm, both in how it is applied and in the breakdowns that result. Where a mistake can derail a life in an overly pressurized world, a person may be complicit or their actions may contribute to another’s despair.