Pierce
A FILM BY Nelicia Low
PRODUCTION GRANT - SPRING 2021
Taiwan. High school fencer JIE (17) is shunned by his fencing teammates for his disturbed older BROTHER (24), once a National Fencing Champion, committed a monstrous crime and was sent to juvenile prison. Jie spends his evenings at the restaurant where his widowed MOTHER (45) sings. Mother is determined to bury their family’s traumatic past and hides the truth from ZHUANG (50) — a kind-hearted, wealthier man she has been dating.
When mother and son receive news that Brother will be released, Mother arranges to send him away to a remote village. However, Jie believes they should help Brother and secretly goes to him despite Mother’s warnings. Brother appears regretful for the way he treated Jie as a child. Though doubtful of Brother’s sincerity, Jie steals money from Zhuang to help him. In return, Brother coaches Jie at fencing. Jie improves, earningBrother notices that Jie and Hui are attracted to each other, he nudges Jie to understand his own sexuality.
Eventually, Mother finds out that the brothers have reconnected and furiously reports Brother to his prison officer. The brothers retaliate by threatening to reveal the truth of Brother’s identity to Zhuang.
Just as Jie thinks they can find a compromise, Brother’s repressed cruelty rears its ugly head, and forces Jie to question everything he believed about him. As the National Championships approach, Jie must now decide if he too, will abandon Brother.