Suk Suk

Suk Suk
Theatrical release poster
Chinese	叔．叔
Directed by	Ray Yeung
Written by	Ray Yeung
Produced by	Michael J. Werner Teresa Kwong Sandy Yip Chowee Leow Stan Guingon
Starring	Tai Bo Ben Yuen Patra Au
Cinematography	Leung Ming Kai
Edited by	William Chang Nose Chan
Music by	Veronica Lee
Production company	New Voice Film Productions
Release dates	October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) (BIFF) February 27, 2020 (2020-02-27) (Taiwan) May 28, 2020 (2020-05-28) (Hong Kong)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese

Suk Suk (Chinese: 叔．叔; lit. 'uncle'), also known as Twilight's Kiss, is a 2019 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Ray Yeung. It presents the story of two closeted gay men in their twilight years who contemplate a possible future together after unexpectedly falling in love. The film was selected to compete in the Panorama section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.

Synopsis

The film presents the story of two closeted married men in their twilight years. One day Pak (Tai Bo), a taxi driver who refuses to retire, meets Hoi (Ben Yuen), a retired single father, in a park. Despite years of societal and personal pressure, they are proud of the families they have created through hard work and determination. Yet in that brief initial encounter, something is unleashed in them which had been suppressed for so many years. As both men recount and recall their personal histories, they also contemplate a possible future together.

Cast

Release

• Suk Suk had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on 4 October 2019.
• Suk Suk was released in Taiwan by Cai Chang International in February 2020
• Suk Suk was released in Hong Kong by Golden Scene Company Ltd. in May 2020
• Suk Suk was released in Thailand by M Pictures / Never So Small in July 2020
• The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) and Create Hong Kong have jointly supported the participation of three Hong Kong films at the CinemAsia Film Festival 2020 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, being held from March 4 to 8 (Amsterdam time). One of the three Hong Kong films is Suk Suk.
• Suk Suk was released in North America by Strand Releasing in February 2021.
• Suk Suk was released in France by Epicentre Filmes in June 2021.
• Suk Suk was released in Spain by Vitrine Filmes in July 2021
• Suk Suk was released in Brazil by Vitrine Filmes in September 2021

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Twilight's Kiss" for USA and Canada by North American distributor Strand Releasing.

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Un Printemps à Hong Kong" for France by French distributor Epicentre Films.

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Suk Suk - Um Amor em Segredo" for Brazil by Brazilian distributor Vitrine Filmes

The film was showcased in 'LGBTQ+ Visions & Horizon: Queer Unbound at NYAFF' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 14, 2024.

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 100% approval rating based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. According to Metacritic, which sampled six critics and calculated a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".

Elizabeth Kerr from The Hollywood Reporter describes Suk Suk as Ray Yeung's "most accomplished, mature film to date, and Yeung demonstrates a keen eye for the social dynamics that impact us and how we respond to them, and finds space to bask in the simple pleasures, basic generosity and the safety net that is family while simultaneously dealing with homophobia, ageism and faith." Wendy Ide from Screen Daily described Suk Suk as "a gentle, understated storytelling with subtly observant camerawork to match". Zhuo-Ning Su from The Film Stage writes, "In lucid, carefully non-judgmental strokes, Yeung recreates the easy familiarity of (hetero-normative) family life that both men have gotten used to." Sight & Sound indicates, "Suk Suk is a loving, considerate tale of queer love in later life. Elaborating an affair between two elderly men in present-day Hong Kong, Ray Yeung proves himself as an astute observer of human affection and social obligation in his third feature film." Alissa Simon from Variety describes, "Strong performances by veterans Tai Bo and Ben Yuen make the protagonists’ struggle concrete and affecting."

Accolades

Soundtrack

References

External links

• Suk Suk at IMDb
• Production website: New Voice Film Productions