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Director’s Profile

Nicole Midori Woodford is a Singaporean film director, writer and editor. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, Asian Film Academy, SEAFIC Lab, Torino Film Lab and Talents Tokyo. In 2021, she directed The Excursion - an episode for HBO Asia mini-series Folklore - which premiered at Tokyo International Film Festival 2021. She has also written, directed and edited several short films, such as Permanent Resident (2018), which was selected at many festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2018 and Busan International Film Festival 2018; Tenebrae (2018), which was produced with Astro Malaysia as part of an Astro Omnibus of short films focusing on upcoming Southeast Asian directors; Waiting Room (2018), which is available on Krisflyer Entertainment for Singapore Airlines; and For We Are Strangers (2015), which was in competition at Busan International Film Festival 2015 and Singapore International Film Festival 2015. Last Shadow at First Light is her first feature film.

Synopsis

Since the disappearance of her Japanese mother (Satomi), 16-year-old Ami has spent her childhood being visited by spirits, strange dreams, and mirages of shadows. While her beloved grandmother begins to deteriorate due to dementia, Ami discovers tape-recordings among her father (Wen Yong)′s belongings containing old, undelivered messages from Satomi. She decides to confront her father, to discover the truth about her mother′s departure. Tired of hiding the truth from his daughter, Wen Yong concedes and reconnects with the only person he believes can help-his brother-in-law, Isamu. Leaving home, Ami begins her search in Tokyo, where she meets her uncle, Isamu, for the first time. A disenchanted and solitary gambling addict who works as a taxi driver, he reluctantly accompanies Ami on a road trip to Rikuzentakata. Mistaking Isamu′s grief and reluctance to return to his hometown, the site of his wife′s tomb, as apathy and detachment, Ami separates from her uncle to continue her journey alone. In a moment of helplessness, she encounters a wandering boy, Ryuichi, who accompanies her through the countryside and becomes a kindred spirit. In retracing Satomi′s footsteps, Ami comes to understand the nature of her special abilities and the trauma experienced not just by her mother, but the entire family.

Achievements

2023 San Sebastion International Film Festival - In Competition
2023 Singapore International Film Festival - In Competition
2023 Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival - In Competition
2024 Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival - Jury prize, Best cinematography, Best screenplay, Best visual effects
2024 Goteborg Film Festival

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