Fly Me to the Moon

Sasha Chuk writes, directs, and stars in this family drama, adapted from her novella. Spanning three decades, Fly Me to the Moon tells the story of the Lams, a Hong Kong family of Hunanese immigrants. Wu Kang-ren plays Kok Man, the drug-addicted patriarch, and Carmen Chou plays his beleaguered wife. Each of their two daughters is played by three different actresses; the film is largely the story of their progression from little girls (1997) to teenagers (2007) to adults (2017).

Chuk’s film is both expansive and richly intimate; it reaches across 30 years while never once losing its close-range dramatic power. Key to Chuk’s success is her ability to maintain an emotional continuity in the female performances. Acting as the adult daughter Yuen, she builds carefully on the work of Chloe Hui and Yoyo Tse as the character’s younger selves. As Yuen moves from youthful innocent to tough teenager to hardened, guarded adult, Chuk builds a portrait of growth that is as darkly poignant as it is convincing.

Best New Performer, Taipei Golden Horse 2023; FIPRESCI Prize, Taipei Golden Horse 2023

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