Eighteen Springs

126 Minutes | 1997 | Fiction | Cantonese | English and Chinese Subtitles
4K Restoration North American Premiere

In the 1930s, SHEN Shijun (Leon LAI) and GU Manzhen (Jacklyn WU) meet and fall in love while working in the same Shanghai factory. Manzhen, having lost her father at a young age, was raised by her elder sister, Manlu (Anita MUI). Manlu works as a nightclub hostess to make ends meet and eventually marries the already-married ZHU Hongcai (GE You). Shijun is tricked by a letter from home and returns, only to discover that his family’s real intention is to arrange a marriage for him. Weak-willed and not hearing from Manzhen for a long time, Shijun obeys his family and marries SHI Cuizhi (Annie WU). Meanwhile, unable to bear children, Manlu schemes to have Manzhen conceive Hongcai’s child. After Manlu’s death, Manzhen marries Hongcai for the sake of her child. Shijun and Manzhen, bound by fate but ultimately separated by circumstances, meet again over ten years later…

Director Ann HUI was born in 1947 in Anshan, Liaoning Province and later immigrated to Hong Kong with her family. After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, she studied films in the U.K. and then returned to Hong Kong to work in television and films. In 1979, she made her directorial debut The Secret and soon became a leader in the “Hong Kong New Wave” film movement. Her notable works include Boat People (1982), Love in a Fallen City (1984), Song of the Exile (1990), Summer Snow (1995), The Way We Are (2008) and A Simple Life (2011). In 2020, Hui was awarded an Honorary Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.