“To get back at her deadbeat husband
who skipped town owing taxes,
Grandma Qiu-tao rounded up her old jailbird buddies
and they hatched a plan to steal his prized crystal cave.”
Comedy, Crime | 90 min | Taiwanese, Mandarin | DEVELOPMENT
Synopsis
Seventy-year-old Qiu-tao found herself in a detention center due to the massive tax debt of her family’s crystal business. Her husband, Zong-long, had embezzled the company’s assets and disappeared, leaving her to face the consequences alone. Upon discovering her husband’s betrayal and his new venture with a mistress, the once docile Qiu-tao decided to take matters into her own hands.
She reached out to two former inmates, Jiao and Azu, who had been incarcerated for various reasons decades ago. Together, these three elderly women, each with their own life experiences, planned a daring heist to reclaim the valuable crystal collection that Zong-long had wrongfully obtained.
Creative Vision
In the past, many women were imprisoned for violating the Negotiable Instruments Law. Most were innocent victims, with checks forged in their names by husbands or family members, or unknowingly made scapegoats. This nearly forgotten collective memory raises a compelling question: after enduring such emotional trauma, how did these women rebuild their lives and mend broken relationships?
Grannies’ Heist reimagines this history as a vibrant and whimsical adventure featuring Taiwanese grandmothers. With a fast-paced, lighthearted narrative, it showcases their unique comedic charm while exploring the struggles of traditional women who sacrificed their identities for others. Through humor and heart, the story highlights their journey of self-discovery and growth in later years, proving that the pursuit of dreams knows no age limit. After all, it’s never too late to chase the Emerald City of your heart, even if it means going a little wild.
Director Hsieh Pei Ju
Hsieh graduated from National Taiwan University of Arts and earned her MFA at Columbia University, USA. She is one of the directors of Ten Years Taiwan which was nominated for Best Narrative Feature at 2018 Taipei Film Awards.
Her feature debut “Heavy Craving” received Script Development Award at HAF and FIPRESCI Prize at 56th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. It also won Best New Talent at Taipei Film Awards and Audience Choice Award in International New Talent Competition at 2019 Taipei Film Festival.