Song of the Exile

1990 1h 40m CN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 24

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in the early 1970s, it tells the story of a Chinese-Japanese student who returns to her native Hong Kong after graduating from a university in London. Once she arrives back home, she and her family begin to fight, largely due to cultural and societal conflicts between her mother and herself.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Maggie Cheung
Cheung Hueyin
Lu Hsiao-Fen
Aiko
Waise Lee Chi-Hung
Mr. Cheung
Tien Feng
Hueyin's Grandfather
Hsiao Hsiang
Hueyin's Grandmother
Chung Siu-Kwong
Xiao Hui
Tan Lang Jachi Tian
Aiko's Brother
Tinlan Yang
Little Hueyin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ann Hui
Writers: Wu Nien-jen
Languages: Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Japanese
Countries: Hong Kong, Taiwan

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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Taiwan.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ann Hui, shot by David Chung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Chen Yang. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Maggie Cheung and Lu Hsiao-Fen and Waise Lee Chi-Hung carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ann Hui directs. David Chung behind the camera. Chen Yang scores. Wong Yee-Shun cuts. Produced in Hong Kong, Taiwan. Dialogue in Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

136 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Japanese.
3International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Taiwan.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Ann Hui, shot by David Chung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Chen Yang. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Wong Yee-Shun shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Maggie Cheung and Lu Hsiao-Fen and Waise Lee Chi-Hung carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0099927 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 24 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.