Comrades, Almost A Love Story   

Peter Chan 1996

 

 “Stories with cross-culture backgrounds are often being neglected in mainstream media, while portrayals of female characters commonly lack depth or are associated with certain  stereotypes.”

 

A raw and intimate debut from first-time filmmaker Tianyu Ma that is visually and thematically reminiscent of Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express, with the melancholic ponderings of its central protagonist Xia and a neon-pop aesthetic of her ex-boyfriends Boston apartment which she has crashed. Xia does her best to avoid real-life responsibilities – her studies and her part-time job as a scriptwriter – and instead spends her day chain-smoking and drinking gin whilst wistfully daydreaming of her crush. 

 

 

July Rhapsody

Ann Hui   2002

 

“The film is based on a real-life case of sex trafficking, which has a significant social meaning in the Minnan region. At the end of the film, one character becomes a symbol for the ‘southern girl forced into prostitution’, a well-known marginal figure of that era.”

 

Based on a real-life case of sex trafficking, Marriage on the Border follows a woman from Southern China who has fallen in love with a Taiwanese man who must undergo an intense interview process for her visa into Taiwan to be approved. When her fate takes a sour turn, the film powerfully portrays the tragic social injustices that befall these desperately unfortunate women. 

 

 

Hand Rolled Cigarette   

Chan Kin-Long   2020

 

“It seems that as we get older, the word ‘dream’ becomes cheesy – something we can hardly voice out loud anymore. I’m not sure if this is because we end up surrendering to real life, or because our dreams are so vulnerable that we must hide them deep within.” 

 

Returning to his family from college for New Year celebrations proves to be a tense affair for a 19-year-old boy in this very personal tale from filmmaker Hao Zheng. Xiaoyu, a fictional version of the director, has chosen to pursue his personal interests and study Kung Fu –  a decision which is met with strong resistance from his disapproving mother, who cannot envisage a prosperous future for her son. By choosing to defy parental and cultural expectations, Xiaoyu’s battle feels like a very universal one, with a very assured and natural performance from Qi Sun.