Shanghai Blues
(Shanghai Zhi Ye)

During the Sino-Japanese war, Gwok-man and Aak-suk promise to meet up again after the conflict. Ten years later, both are living in Shanghai. Despite a series of missed encounters and misunderstandings, they live alongside each other without realising it. Until when ? At the same time a full- blown melodrama and a cheeky comedy with as much sparkle and slapstick as the best screwball comedies, Shanghai Blues seems to summarise the philosophical inclination that runs through Tsui Hark’s œuvre: it is in the chaos of history and its wounds that encounter becomes possible, even inevitable… even love. MM