Blue Sun Palace

Tragedy strikes on Lunar New Year in Constance Tsang's moody debut film.

Within the confines of a massage parlour in New York's Chinatown in the Queens borough, Amy and Didi navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. Despite the physical and emotional toll their work demands, the women have fortified an impenetrable sisterhood, which tragically collapses when disaster strikes on Lunar New Year.

Curator's Note

New York is one of the world's great film cities, however how much of the city do we really see on screen? Manhattan: 100%. Brooklyn: you bet. But Queens, forget about it.

Constance Tsang's debut feature is a reminder of how diverse New York City is. Filmed in one of the world's largest Chinatowns, and almost entirely in Mandarin, the film is a direct and immersive look at the often insular community of Chinatown in Queens and the very specific experience of migrants finding a home there.

Blue Sun Palace premiered in the Critics' Week section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Lee Kang-sheng from Tsai Ming-Liang's Vive L'Amour.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)