Lan Yu

A young architecture student and a wealthy older businessman fall in love in this Hong Kong-Chinese gay romantic drama, set against the backdrop of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident.

Based on the anonymously published book, A Beijing Story, the film stars Liu Ye (A Beautiful Life) and Hu Jun (Born to Fly), who each won Best Actor awards for their roles, at Taiwan's 38th Golden Horse Awards and the 7th Golden Bauhinia Awards in Hong Kong respectively.

'Filmed in secret in Beijing, this tender gay romance by Stanley Kwan combines the timeless conventions of classic melodrama with a radically frank depiction of queer intimacy as it traces, over the course of years, the relationship between a wealthy businessman (Hu Jun) and a young architecture student (Liu Ye) as they come together, fall apart over the former's fear of commitment, and gradually realise that they are fated to be together. Kwan's expressive visuals and the sensitive lead performances yield a daring, deeply affecting love story that doubles as a haunting reflection on life in post-Mao China in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre.' (Criterion Channel).

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