Coming out with way to express love
Hong Kong is not known for its vibrant LGBTQ cinema, and for good reason: It wasn’t until recent generations that it was OK to come out of the closet, and even now, there’s not quite the same level of acceptance as there is in much of the Western world.
So, men like 65yearold retiree Hoi and 70yearold taxi driver Pak wonder if it’s time, near the end of their lives, to finally live as their true selves.
The two meet, fall in love and dare to ponder a future as openly gay men in Ray Yeung’s “Twilight’s Kiss,” a gentle plea for tolerance and affection for an older generation of gay Hong Kongers. The film, which played last year at Frameline and at SFFilm’s annual Hong Kong Cinema showcase, will be available for streaming on Friday, Feb. 19, at the virtual cinemas of San Francisco’s Roxie Theater, San Rafael’s Smith Rafael Film Center and Rialto Cinemas (Berkeley, El Cerrito and Sebastopol), as well as for rental on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Vudu.
Pak (TaiBo) and Hoi (Ben Yuen) meet on a park bench, recognize a kindred spirit in the other and bond over their grandchildren. They meet for tea, and soon they are in a casual relationship, which means in this case meeting surreptitiously at a gay bathhouse that caters to older men.
They can’t date openly, because Pak is in a loveless marriage to his wife (Patra Au) of 40 years, and Hoi lives with his son, daughterinlaw and grandchild. Although Hoi divorced his son’s mother years ago to live a little more freely, he has not come out to his son.
Instead, they meet and talk, getting to know each other over tea, trips to the wet market for groceries and walks in the park. Yeung’s film isn’t concerned with dramatic rises and falls, but the events of daily life: Pak and his wife are busy preparing for his daughter’s wedding banquet, while Hoi stays active in his Christian church and a support group for older gay adults.
If there is any dramatic thrust in the film, it’s a side plot of Hoi’s support group trying to get government support to establish a nursing home for gay people.
“Twilight’s Kiss” is a fragile film of quiet moments and tender feelings, and although it runs out of gas near the end, it takes us on an engaging journey.