Between Fire and Water

Dir: Zhu Shilin
Orig Story: Yue Ye
Scr: Qi Wenshao
Prod Co: Dragon-Horse
Co-Starring: Lee Ching, Ella Kiang, Chen Chuan-chuan, Liu Lian, Cao Yan
1955 / B&W / D Beta / Cantonese (Dubbed) / 88min

In the 1950s and 60s, living in cramped, partitioned tenements was a way of life for many Hong Kong people. Such conditions were fodder for compelling storytelling, giving rise to the category of tenement films. Between Fire and Water, one of the most accomplished of the genre, is, together with The Dividing Wall (1952), part of a diptych about partitioned living by director Zhu Shlin. It's a story in which the taxing state of crowdedness is exacerbated by the difficulties of water rationing imposed by the government. Zhu masterfully animates the story with finely-drawn characters and vivid mise-en-scene, training his camera to capture the drama and humanity unfolding in the confined space. Wei Wei, playing a member of one of eight families squeezed inside the tenement, turns in a stand-out performance that's also complementary of the ensemble cast.

The Betacam tape used for this screening is a sole copy; the image and sound quality is short of ideal. We appreciate your understanding.