''Durian Durian'' () is a
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
Hong Kong film
The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former British colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of pol ...
directed by
Fruit Chan
Fruit Chan Gor (; born 15 April 1959) is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker who is best known for his style of film reflecting the everyday life of Hong Kong people. He is well known for using amateur actors (such as Sam Lee in '' Made in H ...
. The film portrays the experiences of a young girl, Fan (
Mak Wai-Fan), and her
sex worker
A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker"
According to one view, sex work i ...
neighbour, Yan (
Qin Hailu
Qin Hailu (, born 11 August 1978) is a Chinese actress, screenwriter and singer. She has won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Early life and education
...
), in Hong Kong.
Plot
Yan is a prostitute from the mainland in Hong Kong, living near Fan and her family, who is staying in the area illegally. Yan meets Fan in a laneway behind
Portland Street
Portland Street is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is known for its business and retailing skyscraper complex Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district.
Geography
Running north-south and parallel to (an ...
and become friends after Yan's pimp is assaulted in front of Fan by an assailant wielding a
durian fruit.
Yan services dozens of clients per day and showers compulsively. After her 3-month-stay in Hong Kong, Yan returns to her family and her ex-
fiancé
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
in Northeast China to invest what she has earned.
Yan remains in contact with Fan, receiving a durian from her as a gift.
Cast
*
Qin Hailu
Qin Hailu (, born 11 August 1978) is a Chinese actress, screenwriter and singer. She has won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Early life and education
...
- Qin Yan
* Mak Wai-Fan - Fan
* Mak Suet-Man - Man
* Yeung Mei-Kam - Fan's mother
* Chang Kin-Yung - Policeman
Production
Fan was featured in ''
Little Cheung
Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt
* ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film
*The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
'', a film which also deals with poverty and life as an immigrant. This film also centres upon
Portland Street
Portland Street is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is known for its business and retailing skyscraper complex Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district.
Geography
Running north-south and parallel to (an ...
in
Kowloon.
Chan became interested in the topic of prostitution while filming ''Little Cheung'' in Kowloon, where he met and interviewed various prostitutes.
While filming in
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
, Chan found the
public toilets
A public toilet, restroom, public bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets (or urinals) and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils ...
to be terrible and very different. This served as inspiration for his next film
''Public Toilet'' (2002).
Reception
In addition to numerous awards, the film has received critical acclaim. Reviews have praised Chan and actresses Qin Hailu and Mak Wai-Fan, and emphasise themes of contrast,
urban squalor, youthful optimism, and alienation.
The film has been called "deliberate and brooding".
Awards
At the
20th Hong Kong Film Awards
Ceremony for the 20th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 29 April 2001 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Eric Tsang, Carol Cheng, Gigi Leung and Eric Ng. Eighteen winners in eighteen categories were unveiled. The year's biggest winner ...
in 2001, ''Durian Durian'' was nominated for the Best Film, Best Director (Fruit Chan), Best Screenplay (Fruit Chan), Best Actress (
Qin Hailu
Qin Hailu (, born 11 August 1978) is a Chinese actress, screenwriter and singer. She has won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Early life and education
...
), Best New Performer (
Qin Hailu
Qin Hailu (, born 11 August 1978) is a Chinese actress, screenwriter and singer. She has won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Early life and education
...
) and Best Art Direction (
Tin Muk) awards. It won the awards for Best Film and Best New Performer. It was awarded Best Film at the 2001
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards () are the annual awards given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong since 1994. The awards are determined by votes cast in three rounds after a substantial discussion session between the mem ...
. The film also won the Best Picture award at the 38th
Golden Horse Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is u ...
, with Qin winning the Best Actress and Best New Performer awards.
See also
*
Prostitution in Hong Kong
Prostitution in Hong Kong is itself legal, but organised prostitution is illegal, as there are laws against keeping a vice establishment, causing or procuring another to be a prostitute, living on the prostitution of others, or public solicitatio ...
References
External links
Official Site*
*
Durian Durian at letterboxd.comLiu lian piao piao (2000) AKA Durian Durian at rarefilmm.com
{{Fruit Chan
Hong Kong films
2000 films
2000s Cantonese-language films
Films directed by Fruit Chan
Films set in Shenzhen