Bends (2013)

Bends: Directed by Flora Lau. With Carina Lau, Kun Chen, Stephanie Che, Lawrence Cheng. Anna (Carina Lau), a wealthy Hong Kong housewife, suddenly finds herself deep in financial trouble as her only source of income, her husband, disappears. Her driver, Fai (Chen Kun), who lives in Shenzhen with his wife, are expecting the couple’s second child. But under China’s One Child Policy, they need to find the money to pay the penalty or the couple must find a way for Fai’s wife to give birth in Hong Kong.

“Anna and Fai, each content in separate worlds, are jolted by devastating events that send them into downward spirals of financial hardship, isolation and desperate measures. For Anna it is the sudden disappearance of the spouse who supports her rich lifestyle. Fai struggles to find a way to get his pregnant wife across the border to Hong Kong, as it is likely the only way for them to keep their child. Since Fai is Annau0026#39;s driver, they see each other almost daily, yet they mostly suffer alone and in silence. They move in separate spheres. In unexpected ways their lives intersect more. They begin to support one another, though some situations bring them closer to conflict. In this captivating, gently flowing and affecting film the emotions of the characters are keenly felt as they encounter bends in the landscape, lifeu0026#39;s fortunes and each other. The cinematography of misty mountains, steel and glass towers and flying birds is gorgeous, uplifting and malleable with the shifting emotions of film characters. I wish there were more such scenes. Seen at the 2014 Miami International Film Festival.”