The screening on 25 August will be followed by an in-person Q&A with the director Stanley Kwan, moderated by Prof Victor Fan (KCL).
Full Moon in New York is a unique work within Stanley Kwan’s filmography and remains his only feature set primarily in an overseas city. Set against the growing tide of Chinese migration in the late twentieth century, Kwan offers a poignant reflection on displacement, belonging, and identity. The film also stands as one of his most accomplished explorations of female subjectivity, bringing together three richly drawn women portrayed by Maggie Cheung, Sylvia Chang, and Siqin Gaowa.
Set in New York, the film follows three Chinese-speaking women from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China whose paths unexpectedly converge in a foreign land. A successful restaurateur, an aspiring actress, and a newly arrived immigrant bride each struggle with loneliness, cultural dislocation, and disappointments in love. Despite their differing backgrounds and experiences, they forge a profound bond through their shared sense of exile, making the film both a moving portrait of female friendship and a timeless story of immigrant life.
Supported by the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office London.
