Review by Cameron Maitland.

First-time director Robin Weng turns the lens of his first feature on his home in China, the embattled Fujian province. Jumping off from the well-publicized deaths of illegal Fujianese workers in Morecambe, Fujian Blue interweaves two tales of people from the province, which faces trouble from being along the Taiwanese border as well as being the epicentre of the so-called “golden triangle of illegal immigration”.

The first story “Neon Knights” follows a group of young hoodlums spending most of their time partying and financing their partying through blackmail (mostly of women who are cheating on their husbands working overseas). When the pseudo-leader of the gang, the aptly titled Amerika, decides he’s tired of his mother’s philandering ways he sets his own gang on her without realizing her connections to the Fujianese underworld. The second story “At home, At sea” follows Dragon, a friend of Amerika’s, as he moves home after stabbing someone and his subsequent attempts to emigrate. When he is left with some ill-gotten money from Amerika, he must choose between saving his family from debt or using it for personal gain.

Both sparse plots serve as miniature sociological parables examining the circumstances for illegal activity and emigration in the province. While this choice leaves the characterizations thin and the plot sparse, the visual elements of the film more than make up the difference. Weng focuses visually on the scenes of rural decay and urban decadence in the province and his camera points out the ironies of the anti-stowaway propaganda covering almost every wall in the cities. Combine all of this with naturalistic acting and Weng has created a compelling portrait of the motivations and pressures facing the people of Fujian.

Fujian Blue
Robin Weng | China | 2007 | 87min

Mon. Oct. 1 | 7:00pm | VanCity Theatre
Tue. Oct. 3 | 1:15pm | VanCity Theatre
**JUST ADDED** Sat. Oct. 6 | 10:45am | VanCity Theatre