Francis Wong Chun-Man

Yunnan girl Xiangnan, coming from a poor family, was married off to Hong Kong in exchange for a generous dowry. She lives in the remote area of Lau Fau Shan with her elderly husband. As a stranger in a foreign land, Xiangnan feels lost both in Hong Kong and back home, unable to find a space of her own. She dreams of escape, yet feels trapped like a small boat adrift in the sea, tossed by the waves with no way forward or back. In her helplessness, Xiangnan begins to converse with different versions of herself, searching for a place to coexist with herself. Birth and death, unity and separation, living and survival—all dissolve into silence. The story unfolds in scattered, fragmented memories, mostly reflecting Xiangnan’s daily life. The narrative shifts between the perspectives of her mother, Xiangnan as a child, and Xiangnan herself, moving through different spaces in Lau Fau Shan—sometimes in contrast, sometimes in harmony.

Traumatised by the doomed rights movement in Garan, former activist Decem seeks refuge and solitude in the forest, fleeing his homeland and all those he held dear. Relief is however short-lived. As time passes, nostalgia and loneliness creep upon the exiled youth. Decem remains trapped in recurrent nightmares of the past and continues to plunge into despair, living with a constant sense of peril. The challenges of living in the forest along with the wildfire in the mountains eventually make him reconsider the path ahead. Mirroring the disturbed youth’s inner turmoil with the sinister wild nature, the psychological drama relates the tormented state of the exiled body and soul.

Falling petals, flying snowflakes, fragments of memory…all are transient just like our dreams. Without thoughts, there need not be a concrete plot or captivating story to tell. Just as philosopher Zhuang Zi wrote--the fools think they are awake. Each scene and image exudes illusion and fantasy. The absence of plot and dialogues allows freedom in interpretation and clarity. The symphony of images becomes a poem for the audience to treasure. Cinema is dreamy in nature, allowing the true poetic spirit to thrive—when we rid ourselves with thoughts.

Magical moments happen both in and out of the movie theatre. Ho is a dedicated film buff who works in an independent movie theatre. He is especially passionate about the classics which hardly attract any audience. One evening he notices an audience bursting into tears during the closing credits of the fourth film she has watched in a row. Ho checks on her but she remains reserved. Upon seeing all the old film copies in the theatre, she realises Ho’s passion for film and opens up to him.

It was the time when thousands of families left Hong Kong to look for a ‘better future’. After almost 20 years of separation, here comes the reunion dinner for a father and his daughter. The awkward distance between the two make them seem like strangers, but deep in their hearts hide their missing for each other. Memories intertwined with the present, both of them know that what really matters is your beloved ones are all well.

Ah Choi has a complicated relationship—she is attached to her boyfriend, Ah Wood, yet weary of their daily interactions, and is drawn to new and fresh ideas. Though she feels lonely, she also cherishes solitude, caring for her own solitary shadow, drifting between two extremes. Wah Chi teaches at an international school and enjoys writing poetry. After her family emmigrated abroad, she lives alone in her old home, accompanied only by a cat. Dreams, daily life, and poetic sensibility gradually blur together, turning into a series of images. The diversity and fleeting nature of modern society have caused them to lose their sense of time and connection.

Choi used to leave voice message to Sze since she had a cell phone. He did it even more when Sze got a smart phone few years later. Years after, Choi was getting old. He needs to visit physiotherapist and underoccupied. One day when Choi is loading of the bamboo in a construction site earthquake happened in Hong Kong