Blue Sun Palace
A low-key drama set within the community of Chinese migrant workers in Queens, New York. A tragic event puts the friendship of two women working in a massage parlour to the test.
Blue Sun Palace immerses the audience in an in-between world of migrants connected via a massage parlour where only Mandarin is spoken. As the film progresses, we slowly become aware of where we are and the larger context. Constance Tsang was raised in Flushing, Queens, as a child of migrants; she chose to set her feature debut in this borough to tell a story about ‘characters that were far from their homeland, trying to find some sense of permanence in America.’
The film features a remarkable performance from legendary Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, famously the favourite muse of slow-cinema master Tsai Ming-liang. The legacy and impact of their collaboration must have been a source of inspiration because this is a film with a similar pace.
Blue Sun Palace had its world premiere at the Cannes Critics’ Week, where it was awarded the Jury Prize. (source: www.tiff.net)
Written by MV