Tin shui wai dik ye yu mo (2009)

Starts at the end of the story, with the brutal murder by a man of his wife and daughters. Hui gradually unmasks the idyll of the peaceful family and that of Hong Kong as the promised land for gold seekers.

Director:

Ann Hui

Writers:

King-wai Cheung (screenplay), Alex Law (screenplay)

Stars:

Simon Yam, Jingchu Zhang, Amy Chum

5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Simon Yam	...	Lee Sam
Jingchu Zhang	...	Wong Hiu-ling
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amy Chum	...	Mrs. Au
Wai Keung Law	...	Lily
Chau-wah Yim

Storyline

Ann Hui's darkly realistic Night and Fog starts at the end of the story: a man murders his wife and, based on statements by unreliable witnesses, the film goes on to investigate how things could have got this far and what kind of man was able to kill his family; questions that almost inevitably remain unanswered. Night and Fog, named after Nuit et brouillard (1955), Alain Resnais' documentary about concentration camps, looks at the difficult problem of domestic violence. An elderly man from Hong Kong takes a wife from outside the city and goes on to neglect and abuse the woman. Ann Hui's cool registering camera is juxtaposed with flashbacks within flashbacks and dream sequences, just as in her earlier film, Song of the Exile (1990).

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Plot Keywords:

domestic abuse | title directed by female

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin Cantonese

Release Date:

14 May 2009 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Night and Fog

Filming Locations:

Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Class Limited, Mega-Vision Pictures (MVP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows Tin shui wai dik yat yu ye (2008)

User Reviews

Harrowing...but worth every minute!

By introducing the ending at the beginning of the film, the Director Ann Hui cleverly focuses on the unfolding of a family tragedy and the deterioration of a fraught relationship. The result is an extremely powerful drama, delivered by an astonishing cast. Simon Yam and Zhang Jingchu are simply BRILLIANT...I can't even describe their performance with words. If you are a genuine cinema verite fan, this cannot be missed, it will be a great pity if this film is avoided because of the subject matter, as it is a lot more. Its impact on me is not unlike The Bicycle Thief, and its quality on par with other cinematic greats. It is really such shame that this film does not get the exposure it deserves.