“We have to open the sliding door because Shu Qi doesn’t like aircon,” says a PR minder just a few minutes before our interview with the 49-year-old actress-turned-director. A murmur of acknowledgment spreads throughout the group of journalists, all suddenly giddy with excitement that they’ve become privy to this unknown factoid about Shu Qi. Shu Qi doesn’t like aircon. Who knew? It would be one of the few personal things 8days.sg would learn about the Taiwanese star during the chat. Prior to the interview, we were told and reminded to keep our questions strictly related to her directorial debut, Girl. The coming-of-age film, set in the late ’80s, follows an introverted girl trying to escape her abusive parents. The movie, which stars teen actress Bai Xiaoying, actor Roy Chiu and singer 9m88, is partly based on Shu Qi’s traumatic childhood. It nabbed her the best director award at the Busan International Film Festival in September.