Ann Hui’s masterpiece Boat People packed houses upon its initial release, and rightfully so. Informed by her documentary work on Vietnamese refugees and bolstered by Dai An-Ping’s devastating screenplay, Hui delivered one of the most blistering indictments of the human condition at its bleakest. Yet to her credit, the film also reveals a striking glimmer of hope, most notably through the award-winning performance of Season Ma as a put-upon 14-year-old daughter, sister and burgeoning woman. A key figure of the pivotal Hong Kong new wave, Hui exemplified her mastery of cinematic storytelling with arresting mise en scène and kinetic camerawork, all imbued with raw emotion and courage. Post-war Vietnam is mantled by a distinctively Hong Kong sense of humanity, expressed through succinct melodrama and dialogue almost entirely in Cantonese, including that of the protagonist, a Japanese photojournalist played by Hong Kong everyman star George Lam. However, the film's message of compassion is universal, and the gut-wrenching tragedies that tie this intense narrative together continue to resonate with audiences across the world. The screening was made possible courtesy of Janus Films. Print source: Edko Films Limited.