In her feature directorial debut High Wire, filmmaker
Calif Chong brings a heartfelt coming-of-age story to rural England, where a
small traveling circus opens new doors for a young woman struggling to find her
place in the world. The film had its world premiere at the 69th BFI London Film
Festival (LFF), which concludes this Sunday.
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Chong, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jackie Lam, follows
the journey of Go-Wing, a young woman feeling stuck in a life that seems
already decided for her. According to the film's synopsis: “Go-Wing’s days
revolve around helping at her father’s Chinese takeaway and studying. Beneath
her sense of responsibility lies a deep loneliness and a fear that her life
will never be her own. But everything changes when an acrobatic circus arrives
in town. Through a bit of accidental blackmail, she finds her way into the
troupe — and discovers connection, artistic freedom, and a chance to shape her
own future.”
High Wire stars Isabella Wei, Dominic Lam Kar Wah,
and Jose Palma. It's a Silent D Pictures production, in association with Make a
Difference Films and Ajamax Productions, with cinematography by Matthew P.
Scott.
For Chong, who previously worked as a film editor, High
Wire draws inspiration from her own experiences. Speaking at a press event
during LFF, she explained why the circus backdrop made sense: “The circus was
the perfect setting for telling an immigrant story grounded in the food
industry, because I’ve been there — working in a restaurant in Manchester’s
Chinatown. It felt strange being there, chasing what people often call a
‘dream.’ I hate that word. It’s not a dream — it’s a career, a life I’m
building.”
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Lead actress Isabella Wei shared how quickly the casting
process moved. “I submitted a self-taped audition, and within hours, I got the
role. It was incredibly exciting — such a beautifully written part,” she said.
Though based in Hong Kong at the time, Wei was thrilled to portray a character
with similar roots living in the UK. “It felt meaningful to represent someone
from Hong Kong in a British setting. Plus, the role offered so many creative
and physical expressions.”
Casting the lead was no easy task, Chong admitted. “At one
point, I thought, ‘Why did I write this role?’ She needed to be bilingual, know
how to dance, rollerblade — everything,” Chong recalled. “Then I saw Isabella’s
tape and thought, ‘God is saving me.’”
As Chong’s partner and the film’s cinematographer, Matthew
P. Scott had an inside look during pre-production. That collaboration helped
him prepare, but one scene stood out as particularly tough: “The final high
wire act was probably the most difficult, technically speaking, because of the
amount of visual effects involved.”
Wei had her own challenges, particularly in the quieter,
more emotional scenes. “The hardest parts for me were the scenes in the
takeaway,” she said. “We had to build a believable father-daughter relationship
in a cramped, everyday space. Making it feel lived-in and real took a lot of
work.”
With High Wire, Chong delivers a thoughtful exploration of identity, cultural tension, and personal freedom all set against the visually striking and emotionally resonant backdrop of a small-town circus.
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