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Elegies streaming

Original title: 詩
2023 Movie Hong Kong SAR China Documentary 101 min
By: Ann Hui With: Deng Ah-Lam, Wai-Yuen, Huang Yun-ru, Wai-Tong Liu, Liu Waitong

From Boat People (1982) to Our Time Will Come (2017), from family struggles to anti-Japanese history, Venice Career Golden Lion-winning auteur Ann Hui finally films a topic she holds most dear – poetry. Through her personal encounters with some of Hong Kong’s most notable poets, Hui shows the topography of contemporary poetry on and of the city. Two poles of reality, the unrestrained Huang Canran and the cosmopolitan Liu Wai-tong, are juxtaposed to reveal two distinctively different personalities, ideals, and ways of life. Seeing the late Xi Xi recite her own poem about the old Kai Tak Airport is a deeply heart-warming moment.

Festival Achievements

Rotterdam International Film Festival 2024
Selections:
Harbour

Mood

Nostalgic
Poignant
Reflective

Cast & Crew

Ann Hui
Huang Yun-ru
Ma York
Wai-Yuen
Wai-Tong Liu
Liu Waitong
Canran Huang
Huang Canran
Deng Ah-Lam
Ah-Lam Deng
Ann Hui (Director)
Huang Canran (Poet)
Ken Hui (Producer)
Liu Wai-Tong (Poet)
William Chang (Editor)

Budget

Low-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Archival Footage
Improvised Reading
Interview-Based

Narrative Structure

Multi-Part
Non-Linear

Pace

Meditative
Slow-Paced

Runtime

Long-Form

Soundtrack

Ambient Score
Minimalist Music

Style

Cinematic
Documentary
Poetic

Time-Period

2020S
Contemporary

Central Conflict

Cultural Preservation
Exile
Poetry Decline

Characters

Hong Kong Poets
Migrant Poets
Poetry Scholars

Ending

Hopeful
Poignant
Reflective

Historical Context

Censorship
Cultural Change
Hong Kong Protests

Key Plot Points

Interviews With Poets
Migration Stories
Poetry Analysis

Plot

Cultural Loss
Exile And Migration
Hong Kong Poetry

Setting

Hong Kong
Shenzhen
Taipei

Shooting Location

Hong Kong
Shenzhen
Taipei

Theme

Cultural Loss
Exile
Nostalgia
Resistance

Genre

Artistic
Cultural
Documentary

Audiences

Adults
Literature Enthusiasts
Poetry Lovers

Titles

Elegies
Poetry

Awards

Golden Horse Nomination

Critical Reception

Insightful
Positive
Thought-Provoking

Festivals

Busan International Film Festival
Golden Horse Film Festival
Hong Kong International Film Festival

Ratings

Over 8/10 On Douban

Reception

Award-Nominated
Critically Acclaimed
Positive Reviews

Production Countries

China
Hong Kong
Taiwan

Release Year

2023
mowizz ID: 8c58d520-b1f8-4dce-b565-4f9b0df26e75
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