Three women (Siqin Gaowa, Sylvia Chang and Maggie Cheung) from three different places (Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong) meet as strangers in a strange land and become kindred spirits. Director Stanley Kwan and co-writer Chiu Kang-chien use the wintry views of New York City to serve as a metaphor for the women’s bitter inner lives and their cold isolation from their new home. Despite the reportedly tumultuous creative process, the final result is a moving, timely character drama about the Chinese diaspora with three splendid lead performances.

Also screened with this film is Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema , a documentary commissioned by BFI to celebrate the Centenary of Cinema. Through interviews with directors and actors on their view towards family, and homosexuality, Kwan comes to a conclusion on how to deal with his own sexuality – a conclusion that culminates in a powerful finale.

Double bill: Full Moon in New York, Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema