Pak, a 70-year-old taxi driver who cannot resist his deep, homosexual desires, meets Hoi, a divorced retiree who also shares the same interests. Amid the challenges imposed by family and tradition, the two overcome their qualms and pursue a clandestine relationship.
Suk Suk (aka Twilight’s Kiss) is the third feature film by Hong Kong filmmaker Ray Yeung following his 2015 breakout film Front Cover. Taking inspiration from the non-fiction book Oral History of Older Gay Men in Hong Kong, Yeung gives a new perspective to the queer narrative with a forbidden love story of two elderly men struggling with the expectations of a strictly conservative Hong Kong society.
While illicit love affairs are over-represented in LGBTQ cinema, Suk Suk avoids a clichéd retelling by fleshing out the characters of these “gay grandpas.” What’s more fascinating, Yeung trains the spotlight on the lives of senior homosexuals in the traditional Chinese setting. Some spend a lifetime hiding their true selves from the public, while others fight for their rights to live out and about.
Suk Suk deftly explores Hong Kong’s varied social, political and religious views, and in doing so uncovers deep-seated biases that highlight how homosexuality is still taboo in the Chinese territory. But Yeung manages to inject a lighthearted aspect to the film, despite the despondent situation of its lead characters. This unconventional romance will warm your heart, inducing a tear or two and some laughs along the way.
Awarded Best Film at the 2019 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award, there is no doubt that Suk Suk is another queer masterpiece worth checking out.
