Suk Suk (Chinese: 叔.叔) (the title means "Uncle" in Cantonese)[2] is a 2019 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Ray Yeung. It presents the story of two secretly homosexual married men in their twilight years. The film was selected to compete in the Panorama section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.[3]

Suk Suk
Theatrical release poster
Chinese叔.叔
Directed byRay Yeung
Written byRay Yeung
Produced byMichael J. Werner
Teresa Kwong
Sandy Yip
Chowee Leow
Stan Guingon
StarringTai Bo
Ben Yuen
Patra Au
CinematographyLeung Ming Kai
Edited byWilliam Chang
Nose Chan
Music byVeronica Lee
Production
company
New Voice Film Productions
Release dates
  • October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) (BIFF)[1]
  • February 27, 2020 (2020-02-27) (Taiwan)
  • May 28, 2020 (2020-05-28) (Hong Kong)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese

Plot

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Pak, a 70-year-old taxi driver who refuses to retire, meets Hoi, a retired 65-year-old single father at a park. Despite the families that they had built, the encounter sparks a desire that they had both suppressed and leads to a contemplation of a life together.

Cast

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Release

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  • Suk Suk had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on 4 October 2019.[4]
  • Suk Suk was released in Taiwan by Cai Chang International in February 2020[5]
  • Suk Suk was released in Hong Kong by Golden Scene Company Ltd. in May 2020[6]
  • Suk Suk was released in Thailand by M Pictures / Never So Small in July 2020 [7]
  • The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) and Create Hong Kong have jointly supported the participation of three Hong Kong films at the CinemAsia Film Festival 2020 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, being held from March 4 to 8 (Amsterdam time).[8] One of the three Hong Kong films is Suk Suk.
  • Suk Suk was released in North America by Strand Releasing in February 2021.[9]
  • Suk Suk was released in France by Epicentre Filmes in June 2021.[10]
  • Suk Suk was released in Spain by Vitrine Filmes in July 2021[11]
  • Suk Suk was released in Brazil by Vitrine Filmes in September 2021 [12]

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Twilight's Kiss" for USA and Canada by North American distributor Strand Releasing.

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Un Printemps a Hong Kong" for France by French distributor Epicentre Films.[13]

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Suk Suk - Um Amor em Segredo" for Brazil by Brazilian distributor Vitrine Filmes[12]

The film was showcased in 'LGBTQ+ Visions & Horizon: Queer Unbound at NYAFF' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 14, 2024.[14]

Reception

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Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 100% approval rating based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10.[15] According to Metacritic, which sampled six critics and calculated a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".[16]

Elizabeth Kerr from The Hollywood Reporter describes Suk Suk as Ray Yeung's "most accomplished, mature film to date, and Yeung demonstrates a keen eye for the social dynamics that impact us and how we respond to them, and finds space to bask in the simple pleasures, basic generosity and the safety net that is family while simultaneously dealing with homophobia, ageism and faith."[17] Wendy Ide from Screen Daily described Suk Suk as "a gentle, understated storytelling with subtly observant camerawork to match".[18] Zhuo-Ning Su from The Film Stage writes, "In lucid, carefully non-judgmental strokes, Yeung recreates the easy familiarity of (hetero-normative) family life that both men have gotten used to."[19] Sight & Sound indicates, "Suk Suk is a loving, considerate tale of queer love in later life. Elaborating an affair between two elderly men in present-day Hong Kong, Ray Yeung proves himself as an astute observer of human affection and social obligation in his third feature film."[20] Alissa Simon from Variety describes, "Strong performances by veterans Tai Bo and Ben Yuen make the protagonists’ struggle concrete and affecting."[21]

Awards and nominations

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Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
70th Berlin International Film Festival Best Feature Film Ray Yeung Nominated [22]
56th Golden Horse Awards Best Feature Film Suk Suk Nominated [23]
Best Original Screenplay Ray Yeung Nominated [23]
Best Leading Actor Ben Yuen Nominated [24]
Best Leading Actor Tai Bo Nominated [24]
Best Supporting Actress Patra Au Nominated [24]
Hong Kong Directors Guild Awards Best Actor Tai Bo Won [25]
Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild Awards Best Screenplay Ray Yeung Won [26]
Best Role in a Screenplay Tai Bo Won [26]
Best Role in a Screenplay Patra Au Nominated
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards Best Film Suk Suk Won [27]
Best Actor Tai Bo Won [28]
Best Screenplay Ray Yeung Nominated [29]
Best Director Ray Yeung Nominated [30]
Best Actor Ben Yuen Nominated [31]
39th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor Tai Bo Won [32]
Best Supporting Actress Patra Au Won [33]
Best Picture Suk Suk Nominated [34]
Best Director Ray Yeung Nominated [34]
Best Screenplay Ray Yeung Nominated [34]
Best Supporting Actor Lo Chun Yip Nominated [34]
Best New Performer Patra Au Nominated [34]
Best Film Editing William Chang & Nose Chui Hing Chan Nominated [34]
Best Costume & Make Up Design Albert Poon Nominated [34]
Renaissance Awards Best Drama Suk Suk Won [35]
Kongest Film Awards Best Film Suk Suk Won
Best Actor Ben Yuen Nominated
Wicked Queer Boston LGBT Film Festival Jury Award: Best Narrative Feature Twilight's Kiss Won [36]
To Ten Chinese Films Festival Youth Film Handbook: Outstanding Film Twilight's Kiss Won [37]
Youth Film Handbook: Best Actor Ben Yuen Won [38]
Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival Jury Award: Best International Film Twilight's Kiss Won [39]
Jury Award: Best Actor Tai Bo Won [40]
Audience Award: Best International Film Twilight's Kiss Won [41]
Florence Queer Festival Best Long Feature Film Twilight's Kiss Won [42]
Festival International du Film Independent de Bordeaux Special Mention: Best Feature Film Twilight's Kiss Won
GAZE Film Festival Dublin Audience Award: Best Feature Twilight's Kiss Won [42]
Seoul International Pride Film Festival Best Asian Feature Twilight's Kiss Won
Madrid LGBTQ International Film Festival Best Actor Tai Bo Won [42]
Best Actor Ben Yuen Won [42]
Amiens International Film Festival Special Mention: Best Actor Tai Bo Won [42]
Special Mention: Best Actor Ben Yeun Won [42]
Asian Film Awards Best Actor Tai Bo Nominated [42]
Best Supporting Actor Ben Yuen Nominated [42]
Best Supporting Actress Patra Au Nominated [42]
Asian American International Film Festival Audience Choice Award: Best Narrative Film Twilight's Kiss Won [42]
Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival Honorable Mention: Best Feature Twilight's Kiss Won [42]
Zinegoak Festival, Bilbao Spain Special Mention: Best Feature Film Suk Suk Won [43]
La Mostra Internacional de Cinema de Gai i Lesbià FIRE!! Audience Award: Best Feature Suk Suk Won [44]
LGBT Film Fest of the Niemeyer Center, Spain Jury Award: Best Feature Film Suk Suk Won [45]
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT Jury Award: Best Film Suk Suk Won [46]
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT Jury Award: Best Screenplay Suk Suk Won [46]
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT Jury Award: Best Performance Tai Bo Won [46]
Queerties Awards 2022 Best Indie Movie Twilight's Kiss Nominated [47]
GLAAD Media Awards 2022 Outstanding Feature - Limited Release Twilight's Kiss Nominated [48]

Soundtrack

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Name Performed by Original Singer Written by Composed by
Gentle breeze and drizzle Qing Shan Liu lanxi Lin gongxin Lin gongxin

References

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  1. ^ "Suk Suk". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  2. ^ "English translation of 叔 ( suk / suk1 ) - uncle in Cantonese". cantonese.dictionary.li. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Berlinale Archive - Suk Suk". Berlinale. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  5. ^ "'Suk Suk' set for February release in Taiwan". Taiwan News. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Golden Scene". www.goldenscene.com. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  7. ^ "หนังผมไม่เล็กนะครับ". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  8. ^ "HKETO, Brussels promotes Hong Kong films at CinemAsia Film Festival in the Netherlands (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Twilight's Kiss (Suk Suk)". Strand Releasing. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Epicentre Films Un Printemps à Hong Kong". www.epicentrefilms.com. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Suk Suk – Vitrine Filmes". Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  12. ^ a b "SUK SUK – Um Amor Em Segredo – Vitrine Filmes" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  13. ^ ":::::Epicentre Films:::::". www.epicentrefilms.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  14. ^ "23rd New York Asian Film Festival: Schedule & Tickets". NYAFF. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Twilight's Kiss (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Twilight's Kiss Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  17. ^ "'Suk Suk': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  18. ^ Ide, Wendy. "'Suk Suk'". Screen. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  19. ^ "'Suk Suk' Beautifully Captures a Late-Blossoming Queer Romance". The Film Stage. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Nine discoveries from the 2020 Berlinale | Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  21. ^ Simon, Alissa (6 March 2020). "'Suk Suk': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  22. ^ "TEDDY AWARD 2020 Programme Magazine". Issuu. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  23. ^ a b "【金馬獎2019】袁富華升呢挑戰影帝 僅兩部港產片入圍". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  24. ^ a b c "台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival". www.goldenhorse.org.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  25. ^ "Tai Bo wins Best Actor award from the HK Film Directors' Guild". sg.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Ray Yeung honoured with two awards by HK Screenwriters Guild". sg.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  27. ^ "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  28. ^ "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  29. ^ "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  30. ^ "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  31. ^ "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  32. ^ "Better Days sweeps 2020 Hong Kong Film Awards with eight wins". South China Morning Post. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Better Days sweeps 2020 Hong Kong Film Awards with eight wins". South China Morning Post. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g "Better Days, Fagara lead Hong Kong Film Awards nominations". South China Morning Post. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  35. ^ "Renaissance Foundation - Awards 2020". rfhk.org.hk. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  36. ^ "Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBT Film Festival". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  37. ^ "To Ten Chinese Films Festival (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  38. ^ "To Ten Chinese Films Festival (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  39. ^ "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  40. ^ "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  41. ^ "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Twilight's Kiss (2019) - IMDb, retrieved 31 January 2022
  43. ^ "zinegoak | historico". Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  44. ^ "I els guanyadors del FIRE!! 2021 són..." Mostra FIRE!! (in Catalan). 21 June 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  45. ^ "'Suk Suk' wins the Best Feature Film Award at the LGTBI Film Festival". Memesita. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  46. ^ a b c Ganadores del Santo Domingo OutFest 2021,... - Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT, retrieved 31 January 2022
  47. ^ "Indie Movie / The QUEERTIES 2022 / Vote Now". Queerty. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  48. ^ "GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 33rd Annual GLADD Media Awards" (Press release). GLAAD. 19 January 2022.
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