A Simple Life

There is an entire generation of adults living in Hong Kong who had been, to a large extent, raised by housemaids, a social issue which Ann Hui explores with incredible sensibility and without exaggerated melodrama Composed of a mosaic of conversations and silence, characters walking and sitting down, people holding hands or smiling gleefully – all the little things we take for granted – the film shows that it is precisely these things that make emotional bonds with people around us stronger. A Simple Life showcases Ann Hui’s authorial style in a way which is quietly challenging and warmly funny, and which above all touches the hearts of her audience.

After suffering a stroke, housemaid Chun-To (Deanie Ip) is forced to retire and moves into a nursing home. Film producer Roger (Andy Lau) whose family employed Chun-To for many years is helping her go through this life-changing situation. Further medical complications allow them to come closer again. While Chun-to cared for Roger when he was a child, this nuanced drama shows us their roles being reversed as they age.

This screening is a joint presentation by Focus Hong Kong and The Garden Cinema’s Chinese Cinema strand.

Supported by the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office London.