The relationship between Vietnam and its former colonial master, China is fraught and furious. This is to be expected for any colonial power and those colonised. So this over hangs the creation of many films discussing the region and its relationships. Ann Hui Vietnam trilogy had a more balanced approach to its discourse on the country, its people and the continued conflicts between its people. Much of the ‘Hong Kong New Wave’ was about resetting relationships in a world that was blooming on the independence movements. BOAT PEOPLE (her third film in the trilogy), captures the aftermath of the Vietnam War,  through the eyes (well lens actually) of a Japanese photo journalist (George Lam). The Vietnamese government have asked him to come and capture the newly founded Communist state.

It has been three years since the Communist takeover, 1978 to be precise but still those who travel to Vietnam are forced to live and work by the rules. He meets and then makes a friend of a young teenage girl (Season Ma). Her family are on the lower ends of the economic zone they live in. Prosperity has avoided them. So it seems has the government legal process. They are brutal and often shocking in their treatment of those on the margins. Political repression, poverty and position all play a part but so has desperation. When the images captured reveal the deep issues of the country, he cant avoid coming into conflict with those in power.

In Criterion vocab, BOAT PEOPLE is referred to as ‘the preeminent work of the Hong Kong New Wave’. The new wave is tagged onto everything and anything to make it both legitimate and significant. BOAT PEOPLE is significant. Ann Hui film sits inside the mid to late 80s cinema of investigation. Films like SALVADOR, UNDER FIRE, KILLING FIELDS, MISSING etc. All deeply humanistic and all with an eye on the reality of oppression. Hui approach is to balance the relationships between cultures, with a eye for harrowing human drama. There is an broad underlying compassion but also a feeling that Hui never wavers from being honest about the human within the experience. Boat People looks at the circumstances of the post Vietnam unification that drove hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees to flee their homeland. Told with a haunting power, this is a film of truth without trepidation.

DISC

Seeing as Criterion have been on their very best behaviour to get like for like releases of US and UK Blu Rays, what we get this time is a fair attempt at something great. The 4K transfer, from the 35mm, has some issues. That is to say mainly light issues, (as this is dampened with the stock of the generation to be a major reason) but it is also a consistent problem with Criterion releases. Though I felt it looked good enough to view, I also felt it was not as stellar as many will be expecting.

EXTRAS

“As Time Goes By,” is the place to start for newer eyes to Hui. Its more of a self reflection but with a very clear sense of taste and tenor of film creatives. Hui and filmmaker Stanley Kwan talk like they want to bridge a generational discourse. It ends up as teaching and treatment work for those with an interest in cinema expectations.

New, restored 4K digital transfer
New conversation between Hui and filmmaker Stanley Kwan
“As Time Goes By,” a documentary and self-portrait by Hui
“Keep Rolling,” a documentary about Hui made by Man Lim-ching
Press footage from the Cannes Film Festival