Song of the Exile
Encyclopedia
Song of the Exile is a 1990 Hong Kong
-Taiwanese film directed by Ann Hui
. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard
section at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival
.
.
Before becoming Mrs. Cheung and before the end of World War II
, we learn Aiko spent time living in Manchukuo
. There, she and other Japanese faced serious dilemmas after Japan's defeat and the subsequent uncertainties of imprisonment and punishment. The most intense of these dilemmas came with the serious illness of Aiko's infant nephew. His illness was eventually cured by Hueyin's father after a chance encounter and desperate roadside plea for help by Aiko. Mr. Cheung was an army translator from Guangdong
, China with a background in traditional Chinese medicine
. Aiko developed a sense of fondness for him upon seeing his actions and character. Aiko's brother concurred, mentioning that kindness toward children usually signifies a man of integrity. After Mr. Cheung escorted Aiko's family to the Japanese repatriation site, he revealed to Aiko a strong desire to be a romantic couple. The film focuses on Hueyin's journey of epiphany as she and Aiko visit Aiko's birthplace in Beppu, Japan, where many years of mother-daughter tension are finally reversed.
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
-Taiwanese film directed by Ann Hui
Ann Hui
Ann Hui On-Wah is a Hong Kong film director, film producer and occasional screenwriter, one of the most critically acclaimed amongst the Hong Kong New Wave.-Early life:...
. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival
1990 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Bernardo Bertolucci *Alexei Guerman *Anjelica Huston *Bertrand Blier *Christopher Hampton*Fanny Ardant *Françoise Giroud *Hayao Shibata *Mira Nair *Sven Nykvist...
.
Plot
In 1973, 26-year-old Cheung Hueyin is abroad in London studying media. Receiving a letter from her mother, she returns to Hong Kong to attend her younger sister's wedding. The relationship between Hueyin and mother Aiko, who is Japanese, hadn't been stellar since childhood. From many flashbacks, we see it was Hueyin's paternal grandparents who did much of the early child-rearing, however, they would inadvertently overstep boundaries, resulting in family dysfunctionDysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
.
Before becoming Mrs. Cheung and before the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, we learn Aiko spent time living in Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
. There, she and other Japanese faced serious dilemmas after Japan's defeat and the subsequent uncertainties of imprisonment and punishment. The most intense of these dilemmas came with the serious illness of Aiko's infant nephew. His illness was eventually cured by Hueyin's father after a chance encounter and desperate roadside plea for help by Aiko. Mr. Cheung was an army translator from Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, China with a background in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
. Aiko developed a sense of fondness for him upon seeing his actions and character. Aiko's brother concurred, mentioning that kindness toward children usually signifies a man of integrity. After Mr. Cheung escorted Aiko's family to the Japanese repatriation site, he revealed to Aiko a strong desire to be a romantic couple. The film focuses on Hueyin's journey of epiphany as she and Aiko visit Aiko's birthplace in Beppu, Japan, where many years of mother-daughter tension are finally reversed.
Cast and roles
- Maggie CheungMaggie CheungMaggie Cheung Man yuk is a Chinese actress from Hong Kong. Raised in England and Hong Kong, she has over 70 films to her credit since starting her career in 1983...
- Cheung Hueyin - Tan Lang Jachi Tian
- Waise LeeWaise LeeWaise Lee Chi-hung is a Hong Kong film and television actor best known for playing the roles of villains and antagonists in various films.-Biography:...
- Mr. Cheung - Li Zi Xiong
- Lu Hsiao-fen - Aiko (credited as Xiao Feng Lu)
- Tien FengTien FengTien Feng is a Hong Kong actor for 60 years. He left for Hong Kong from Taiwan and started his career...
- Hueyin's Grandfather (credited as Feng Tian) - Xiao Xiany
- Yang Tinlan
- Yinjian Quinzi
Awards
- 10th Hong Kong Film Awards10th Hong Kong Film Awards-Best Film:-Best Director:-Best Screenplay:-Best Actor:-Best Actress:-Best Supporting Actor:-Best Supporting Actress:-Best New Performer:-Best Cinematography:-Best Film Editing:-Best Art Direction:-Best Action Direction:...
(1991)- Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Director
- Nominated: Best Screenplay