喜歡妳是妳
Romance
Cantonese, English and Czech subtitles
Directing: Candy Ng, Chiu-hoi Yeung
Starring: Hedwig Tam, Renci Yeung
Distributor: Mei Ah Entertainment
Guests: Chiu-hoi Yeung, Renci Yeung (Q&A after the film)

TRAILER

Former classmates and perhaps lovers Nam and Yuet reunite after many years at a wedding and recall their shared past. They were very close at a catholic high school, but exactly how close is difficult for them to say. Were they best friends? Deeply in love? Or was it just infatuation? And did that feeling really stay in the past?

The First Girl I Loved does not give straight answers, but rather raises more questions. The pure and honest bond between the two girls is a reflection of general social problems and LGBTQ+ related issues. It reveals institutionalized restrictions they encounter at school defined by a dogmatic belief that love between two women is a threat to morality and could cost one of the main protagonists her scholarship. It triggers discussions with family members that prove tolerance is not the same as acceptance. This clever coming-of-age romance twists genre conventions by adding a queer theme and thanks to that may raise completely different questions. Yet the attention always remains focused on… love.

阿媽有咗第二個
Drama
Cantonese, English and Czech subtitles
Directing: Kearen Pang
Starring: Teresa Mo, Keung To, Jer Lau
Distributor: Emperor Motion Picture (HK) Ltd.
Guest: Kearen Pang (Q&A after the film)

TRAILER

Since the birth of her son, Mei-fung had led the life of a housewife. She had been forced to give up her career as a successful talent manager to take care of her family. Now, at seventeen, her son Jonathan is very independent, and Mei-fung decides to apply for a job. That’s how she meets young Fong Ching, discovers his singing voice, and wants to become his manager. The lines between her personal and professional worlds blur, and Mei-fung, her son and her protégé must face new obstacles and confront their tragic past.

Behind the film is a director from the new generation of Hong Kong filmmakers, Kearen Pang. Her film 29+1 received critical acclaim at film festivals in 2017 and has launched her career as a promising director.

The central theme of Mama’s Affair is the uncovering of the past. The film alternates chronologically told scenes with dialogs that relate to the characters’ personal histories, and through these conversations the viewer sees what motivates their seemingly incomprehensible behavior. These sequences have a completely different pace and mood and transition into scenes from the present.Mama’s Affair gently addresses the question of women’s position in society and their duties as mothers. However, the theme is developed with great sensitivity and is closely linked to the narrative and the relationship dynamics of the characters. Therefore, the story is personal and intimate in many ways.

濁水漂流
Drama
Cantonese, English and Czech subtitles
Directing: Jun Li
Starring: Francis Ng, Tse Kwan-ho, Loletta Lee, Cecilia Choi, Chu Pak Hong
Distributor: mm2 Entertainment

TRAILER

After dealing with transgenderism in Tracey, young Hong Kong director Jun Li in his second film again turns to social criticism. This time he addresses homelessness and focuses on a true story from 2012 that he stumbled upon when he was studying journalism.

Upon his release from prison, a homeless man Fai comes back to the street to meet up with other men and women who have ended up without a place to stay for different reasons. One night their lives are turned upside down during street cleaning when their shelter is destroyed, and all possessions thrown in a garbage truck. With the help of a social worker Ms. Ho the group of homeless decide to sue the government for not giving them a prior notice of cleaning up the streets. Having lost their home, they also need to take care of a new one.

To describe Drifting as the story of Fai and his fight against the government would be oversimplifying and distorted. It is rather about the everyday life of socially marginalized people who happen to be involved in a lawsuit which then becomes yet another part of their routine. The film explores the world of the homeless, their values, and individual stories by depicting their daily life. Scenes of trial proceedings are only occasional.; the main protagonists are mostly captured on the streets having casual conversations that gradually let their personal stories naturally unfold and develop.

Drifting is not only about individuals, but at the same time about an entire community being in opposition to the outside world that does not care about them and refuses to treat them as real people who deserve to be treated with dignity. This outside world either stands in opposition and tries to suppress the homeless, such as the government that views them as an obstacle to a development project of luxurious skyscrapers. Or it uses them for its own needs, such as journalists who want to get a good story or students preparing absurd workshops.