Capital Celluloid 2025 — Day 12: Sun Jan 12

Made in Hong Kong (Chan, 1997): ICA Cinema, 6pm


This is part of the ICA's 'Celluloid Sunday' strand and screens from 35mm.

Time Out review:
Bad things start happening to Moon, a kid from a housing estate, when he comes into possession of two bloodstained letters left behind by a schoolgirl suicide: his mother walks out, he starts having pesky wet dreams, his mentally handicapped best friend gets into trouble - and he falls for a girl who turns out to be seriously ill. The irresistibly named Fruit Chan, a long-serving assistant director in the film industry, got this indie feature made on a wing and a prayer: various industry figures (notably Andy Lau) helped out, hardly anyone got paid and the non-pro cast was recruited on the street. Much of it is fresh, truthfully observed and touching in its honesty, but the climactic escalation into triad melodrama and the several false endings suggest that old industry habits die hard. Nonetheless, a striking achievement.
Tony Rayns

Here (and above) is the trailer.

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