Silk Factory Girl

Silk Factory Girl

Dir: Chan Pei
Scr: Lee Sau-kei
Prod Co: Baobao
Co-starring: Chan Kam-tong, Fung Wong Nui, Yee Chau-shui, Lam Mui-mui, Cheng Kwan-min
1955 | B&W | D Beta | Cantonese | Chinese Lyrics | 103min

The film commences with Ching (Tang Bik-wan) lamenting over her bleak life through singing: her mother died early and her stepmother (Lam Mui-mui) is wicked. The song precedes her appearance in the house while the cinematography helps to tug at the emotional heartstrings. Because of her debt-ridden father, Ching is forced by the stepmother to marry an old invalid. To prevent the marriage, Ching's lover Ho (Chan Kam-tong) raises money by agreeing to marry his own cousin (Fung Wong Nui). Ching's life is doomed, yet, when the stepmother absconds with the money. With all her hopes dashed to the ground, Ching decides to opt out of marriage for life. However, witnessing her 'self-combed' sworn sisters being bullied even to the point of committing suicide further devastates her. This tragic heroine comes to life through Tang's masterful performance both as a singer and an actor. The climatic and tear-jerking scene of Ching dying is definitely a highlight of the film.

The image and sound quality are short of ideal. We appreciate your understanding.


Date Time Venue
12/11/2021 (Fri) 11:00am Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

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