Whether caused by the rising cost of living or our tumultuous political environments, many of us across Europe and Asia are bound by the desire to emigrate and seek greener pastures in another country. But what are the emotional costs of such a move?
In Next Stop, Somewhere, filmmakers James Lee and Jeremiah Foo explore the personal struggles of emigration in all their intimacy and complexity through two parallel stories of separation and connection: Huang (Anthony Wong), a Hong Kong actor enduring a two-week hotel quarantine upon relocating to Taiwan, and Kim (Kendra Sow), a Vietnamese woman navigating challenging new relationships as she arrives in Malaysia for an arranged marriage.
Framed with the sensitivity of an Edward Yang film, an unusually tight aspect ratio, and a beautiful use of colour, Next Stop, Somewhere is a tender exploration of diasporic experience and what happens when our longing to escape confronts the realities of emigration.
Followed by a live online Q&A with Director James Lee and Producer Jeremiah Foo.
In Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese with Chinese and English subtitles
Hong Kong Film Festival UK returns for its third edition from 12–28 September in London, presenting reflective, boundary-shifting cinema from Hong Kong and the ESEA diaspora. This year’s programme foregrounds transient and transitioning identities, exploring perspectives on migration, activism, marginalised communities, and gender, highlighting also the creative lens of women filmmakers. From dynamic contemporary works to intimate personal narratives, the festival centres voices that challenge, navigate, and reimagine belonging. Supported by the BFI.
