Floating Life

"Moving East to West has turned their lives...upside down"

1996 1h 36m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 8

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An aging Hong Kong couple move to Australia with their two youngest sons. They stay with a daughter who has already begun a successful career. Meanwhile their eldest daughter lives in Germany and their eldest son remains in Hong Kong. The film explores the different ways the family members cope with isolation and alienation.

“Moving East to West has turned their lives...upside down”

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Cast

Annette Shun Wah
Yen Chan
Annie Liu On-Lai
Bing Chan
Anthony Brandon Wong
Gar Ming
Edwin Pang
Pa
Heung-Sing Lee
Mum
Toby Wong Chun-Lam
Yue
Toby Chan
Chau
Julian Pulvermacher
Michael

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Clara Law
Writers: Eddie Fong Ling-Ching, Clara Law
Languages: German, Cantonese, English
Countries: Australia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Cantonese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Clara Law, shot by Dion Beebe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Davood A. Tabrizi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Suresh Ayyar shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Annette Shun Wah and Annie Liu On-Lai and Anthony Brandon Wong carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Moving East to West has turned their lives...upside down".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0116325 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Clara Law directs. Dion Beebe behind the camera. Davood A. Tabrizi scores. Suresh Ayyar cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Australia. Dialogue in German, Cantonese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

130 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Cantonese, English.
3Directed by Clara Law, shot by Dion Beebe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Davood A. Tabrizi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Suresh Ayyar shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Annette Shun Wah and Annie Liu On-Lai and Anthony Brandon Wong carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Moving East to West has turned their lives...upside down".
8IMDB entry: tt0116325 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.