Floating City (2012)

Floating City is a social-historical drama set against the backdrop of the British-colonized harbour that is still known today, appropriately, as “The Floating Village”. Inspired by the life stories of two fishermen, director Yim Ho, a veteran of 80s New Wave cinema, presents his 13th film, which offers an insightful look at Hong Kong’s history through the rise of a mixed half-British / half Hong Kong man from the Tanka fishing village to a top executive position in the white-dominated Imperial East India Company, just prior to the 1997 handover. While political undertones are obvious, at its core, the film revolves around change, exploration and a unique modern perspective on Hong Kong’s historical evolution.

Bo Wah-Chuen (Aaron Kwok), takes centre stage as he rises from his challenging childhood on a fishing boat to the upper echelons of the notorious Imperial East India trading company. Struggling to define his own identity, Bo is compelled to confront the realities of prejudice stemming from class disparities and his conflicted devotion to his modest boat wife (Charlie Yeung) and his western-educated and cosmopolitan colleague (Annie Liu).