‘Daughter’s Daughter,’ a Tale of Surrogacy, Motherhood and Same Sex Relations, Strikes Sales Ahead of Toronto Film Festival Debut (EXCLUSIVE)

Taiwan-based Andrews Film has picked up international sales rights to drama film “Daughter’s Daughter” ahead of its premiere in the Platform section of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by Huang Xi (“Missing Johnny”), the film has an impeccable pedigree flowing from its executive producers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Sylvia Chang. Taiwan industry icon, Chang also stars in the picture, alongside Karena Lam and Eugenie Liu (“Old Fox”).

The film chronicles the journey and the choices made by a 60-year-old woman whose daughter dies in an accident. The older woman discovers that she is responsible for her dead daughter’s IVF embryo and decides to confront the other daughter she had as a teenager. While past regrets and future responsibilities collide, the film also probes the complexities of reproduction among the LGBT community.

The film is produced by Sun Lok Productions and received project investment from TAICCA on behalf of National Development Fund. Andrews has secured the first sale, to Hong Kong’s Edko Film ahead of the film’s Toronto world premiere.

Other credits go to supporting cast Alannah Ong, Winston Chow and Tracy Chou. The producers are Shao Dongxu and Lu Hsin-li. Yao Hung-I was cinematographer. Sound credits go to Agnes Liu and Chu Shih-yi; music to Kay Huang, Liang Angu and Mukio Chang, film editing Liao Ching-Sung and Jerry Kao with production designer by Hwarng Wern-ying and costume designer by Shirley Kao.

Director Huang has worked closely with Hou since Hou’s 1996 film “Goodbye South, Goodbye.” Huang’s own work focuses on contemporary urban relations, loneliness and chance. “Missing Johnny,” his 2017 debut as a solo director, was selected for Busan, Tokyo FILMeX, HK Asian FF and won awards at both the Taipei festival and the Golden Horse Awards. “Twisted Strings,” his 2022 TV series for HBO, also featured Sylvia Chang. It dissected the humor and absurdity behind death and desire.

Taiwan legalized gay marriage in 2019, making it one of the first jurisdictions in Asia to do so. But complications don’t stop there.

“Throughout Taiwan’s journey towards legalizing same-sex marriage, countless stories unfolded. Yet in this process, we see issues extending beyond marriage, which are even more complex and controversial. IVF is one of them, and such reproduction topic applies to a larger population than you’d expect, not only confined to LGBT community,” said Hwang. “I wanted to tell a story relating to this modern topic, from the perspective of a mother, or a woman, or of humanity itself.”

Watch the trailer for “Daughter’s Daughter” here.