Eighteen Springs (Restored Version)

Long before her 1984 feature Love in a Fallen City, Ann Hui has already set her heart on adapting Eighteen Springs—another best-loved novel by celebrated author Eileen Chang—on the big screen. The highly acclaimed arthouse director poured years of painstaking labour and a multi-million budget into visualising this melancholic love story set in 1930s Shanghai.

Shijun, a debonair heir to his family's business, and Manjing, a factory girl from a once well-off family, fall in love despite their differences. But their romance is doomed by class prejudices and fate. While Leon Lai and Jacklyn Wu both possess the unique qualities which make them the perfect choice for the leading roles, Anita Mui also gives a showstopping performance as she takes on the supporting part as Manjing's elder sister Manlu. The physical resemblance and personality contrast between the two actresses are strikingly memorable as they play the ill-fated siblings. The late diva won the Best Supporting Actress honour at both the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards and the 3rd Golden Bauhinia Awards for her terrific portrayal of a conflicted woman who sacrifices herself for her family, but maliciously betrays her own sister to save her marriage.

# Post-screening talk with Matthew Cheng

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