Part of Hong Kong Cinema film series
The Lady Improper
Description
In this daring exploration of female sexuality, Charlene Choi (77 Heartbreaks, HKC 2017) stars as Siu-man, an OB-GYN facing several life crises. Her husband has left her, claiming she is sexually frigid; her hospitalized father is in danger of losing his restaurant; and her job has requested she take some time off. After hiring lady-killer chef Jiahao to overhaul the family business, she finds more than her taste buds are awakened by watching him at work and at play. Cantopop star Choi sheds her teen idol image as the titular protagonist, and her efforts were justly rewarded with a Best Actress nomination from the Hong Kong Film Awards. Note: The Lady Improper was truncated in some locations for sexual content; SFFILM will be showing the complete 105-minute version.
“One of Hong Kong’s most admired indie filmmakers of the past decade makes her home city commercial feature debut with The Lady Improper. The film is a refreshingly gentle … drama about a woman’s belated sexual liberation with the help of a good man and some suggestive food-preparation sessions.” — Edmund Lee, South China Morning Post
Co-presented by
The Chinese Historical Society
Director, writer, and documentarian Jessey Tsang is revered by Hong Kong’s independent film fans for her sensitivity and nuance in telling female-driven stories in films such as Lovers on the Road (2008) and Big Blue Lake (SFFILM Festival 2013), the latter winning her the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Director. She attended the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and City University of Hong Kong, where she completed her master’s degree. In 2016, she received a FilmAid Asia Humanitarian Award for her projects on environmental issues and disadvantaged communities.
Film Details
Language Cantonese
Original Language Title Fēi fèn shūnǚ
Year 2019
Runtime 107
Country Hong Kong/China
Director Jessey Tsang
Producer Jason Siu, Polly Yeung
Writer Jessey Tsang, Link Sng
Editor Mary Stephen
Cinematographer Jam Yau
Music Masamichi Shigeno
Cast Charlene Choi, Wu Kang-jen
Print Source Emperor Motion Pictures