Love is stronger than death in the secret masterpiece of 1980s Hong Kong cinema, which anticipated the best films of Wong Kar-wai. Russian premiere of the restored version as part of the Ghost Stories film programme.
Rouge
- Date:
- 15 Nov 2025,
19:00–20:50
- Age restrictions
- 18+
Yin ji kau
1987, Stanley Kwan
Hong Kong
96 minutes, Cantonese with Russian subtitles
Starring: Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Alex Man, Emily Chu
T
In 1930s Hong Kong, courtesan Fleur and an heir to a wealthy dynasty, Chan, fall in love. His parents disapprove of their union, and the couple decides to take their own lives. Half a century passes, and Fleur’s ghost returns to the unrecognisably changed metropolis to try to find Chan: in the afterlife, the lovers have never reunited.
Shot from Rouge, 1987
Kwan renders the Thirties in florid images and modern times in muted tones; his view of the shock of history feels all the more prescient in light of recent repressive changes in Hong Kong.
— Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Stanley Kwan’s stylishly shot and structured film addresses the eternal theme of forbidden romantic desire. But the Hong Kong classic not only captivates the viewer, drawing him into an empire of passion, but also prepares the screen world for shocks that will surprise even the most seasoned film aficionados.