Drifting Petals 花果飄零

Closing Film, UK Premiere

Part of Focus: Forever Foreigner — The Films of Clara Law, curated by Eleanor Lu and Ching Wong

28 Sept 2025 (Sun)

2pm, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)

Australia | 2021 | Colour | 110’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles

Dir.: Clara Law

Cast: Jeff Lai, Ariel Ng, Dickens Ko

A filmmaker (voiced by Clara Law) first meets piano student Jeff in Australia. Three years later, they reunited in Hong Kong. Each begins their own nocturnal journey through the streets of their hometown. Jeff spends his sleepless nights wandering Hong Kong and is unexpectedly drawn into a stranger’s family affairs, while the filmmaker returns to her birthplace, Macau, and encounters a boy who reminds her of her missing brother. These two seemingly separate stories are bound by an entangled past, as the title suggests — petals from the same flower drifting apart.

Incorporating historical materials from the 12-3 incident in Macau, and footage from the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement, into a story partially inspired by Law’s personal life, this 5-year self-funded project was shot with hand-held digital camera and a small crew. Devised by Law and her long-term collaborator Eddie Fong, the film experiments with alternative modes of storytelling and won her Best Director at the Golden Horse Awards.

Followed by a live online Q&A with Clara Law and Eddie Fong hosted by Victor Fan, as well as a meet and greet with actor Indy Lee.