Wikipedia

A Light Never Goes Out

Not to be confused with There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.

A Light Never Goes Out (Chinese: 燈火闌珊; pinyin: Dēnghuǒ lánshān; lit. 'Dimming Lights') is a 2022 Hong Kong drama film produced by Saville Chan and directed by Anastasia Tsang in her directorial debut. The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Tokyo International Film Festival.[1] The film was the winner of 5th First Feature Film Initiative and received funding from the Film Development Fund. It was also selected to represent Hong Kong in the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, but was later revealed to have been disqualified for currently undisclosed reasons.[2][3]

A Light Never Goes Out
Promotional poster
Traditional Chinese燈火闌珊
Simplified Chinese灯火阑珊
Literal meaning"Dimming lights"
Hanyu PinyinDēng huǒ lán shān
Jyutpingdang1 fo2 laan4 saan1
Directed byAnastasia Tsang
Written byAnastasia Tsang
Tsoi So-man
Produced bySaville Chan
StarringSylvia Chang
Simon Yam
Cecilia Choi
Henick Chou
CinematographyLeung Ming Kai
Music byAlan Wong
Janet Yung
Production
company
A Light Never Goes Out Ltd.
Release dates
  • October 25, 2022 (2022-10-25) (TIFF)
  • March 2, 2023 (2023-03-02) (Hong Kong)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese

Premise

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Devastated by the loss of her skilled neon sign-making husband, a wife decides to carry on his unfinished dream of making neon signs.

— TIFF[1]

Plot

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Middle-aged widow Mei-heung has faced countless sleepless nights since her husband Bill's passing. Upon discovering a key among Bill’s possessions, she is led to his secret neon workshop and meets young apprentice Leo. Together, they embark on a journey to complete Bill's last project, as Mei-heung learns the delicate craft of neon light blowing. Her efforts to recreate a demolished neon sign with her own hands become a poignant homage to their shared past. As Mei-heung reflects on her life with Bill, she uncovers hidden fragments of his history, providing her with a bittersweet solace. Concurrently, her daughter Prism grapples with her own secret plans to leave Hong Kong, struggling to reveal them to her mother. As the mystery of the legendary neon sign unravels, Mei-heung is confronted with truths she had long avoided.[4]

Cast

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Production

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A Light Never Goes Out is the feature debut of Anastasia Tsang, who graduated from Sorbonne University's film department. The film is produced by The Way We Dance's Saville Chan and reunites Sylvia Chang with Simon Yam, with whom she previously worked in the 1982 horror comedy He Lives by Night.[5][6]

Controversy

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A Light Never Goes Out was submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.[7]  However, the film was later disqualified due to a conflict of interest in the voting process.[8] One of the film's stars, veteran actor Simon Yam, was also a member of the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong selection committee that decides which film to submit for the Oscars each year.[9] This violated the Academy's rules stating that selection committee members cannot have a professional relationship with a film under consideration.[10] As a result, the movie was pulled from contention, and Hong Kong ultimately decided not to submit any other film in its place given the large margin by which A Light Never Goes Out had originally won the nomination.[11]

Critical Reception

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Phuong Le of The Guardian describes A Light Never Goes Out as a "heartfelt love letter"[12] to the diminishing world of Hong Kong’s neon sign artisans. Despite relying on a conventional plot with familiar archetypes, performances by Sylvia Chang and Cecilia Choi elevate the narrative, suggesting profound familial bonds beneath surface-level clichés. The film, Le remarks, embodies a significant cultural undertaking, with the characters’ endeavors to maintain Hong Kong’s cultural identity set against a backdrop of socio-political change. However, Le points out a missed opportunity for the film to incorporate the rich history of its neon sign-making legacy more fully into the story.[12]

In Edmund Lee’s review for the South China Morning Post, Sylvia Chang’s performance is praised as "genuinely riveting."[13] The film is further commended for its poignant portrayal of Hong Kong’s rapidly disappearing neon sign tradition. However, Lee notes that the film's human drama feels laboured next to the evocative tribute to the city's once-prevalent neon landscape.[13]

Release

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The film was showcased for its U.S. premiere at the 22nd New York Asian Film Festival in 'Hong Kong Panorama' section on 25 July 2023.[14][15]

Awards and nominations

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Awards Category Recipient Result Ref.
59th Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actress Sylvia Chang Won [16]
Best Visual Effects Dennis Yeung Nominated
FIPRESCI Prize A Light Never Goes Out Nominated
41st Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress Sylvia Chang Nominated [17]
Best New Performer Henick Chou Nominated

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "【A Light Never Goes Out】｜ 35th Tokyo International Film Festival(2022)". 2022.tiff-jp.net. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  2. ^ Pond, Steve (30 October 2023). "89 Films Enter International Race at 96th Academy Awards". The Wrap. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  3. ^ Shackleton, Liz (11 December 2023). "Hong Kong's Oscars Submission 'A Light Never Goes Out' Disqualified; Reason Remains Unclear". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  4. ^ "A Light Never Goes Out Film Times and Info | SHOWCASE". www.showcasecinemas.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  5. ^ Wong, Silvia; Noh, Jean. "14 Asian films to tempt festival directors in 2022". Screen. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  6. ^ "《燈火闌珊》紀錄褪色香港 張艾嘉不計酬勞參演︰還有好角色可演". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 4 February 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  7. ^ ""A Light Never Goes Out" is HK's choice for the Oscars". Yahoo News. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Hong Kong film A Light Never Goes Out disqualified as Academy Awards entry". South China Morning Post. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Simon Yam says sorry for "A Light Never Goes Out" disqualification". sg.style.yahoo.com. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  10. ^ "REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE PROMOTION OF FILMS ELIGIBLE FOR THE 87th ACADEMY AWARDS® | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Hong Kong film A Light Never Goes Out disqualified as Academy Awards entry". South China Morning Post. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  12. ^ a b Le, Phuong (9 May 2023). "A Light Never Goes Out review – Hong Kong's neon signs light up nostalgic drama". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b "A Light Never Goes Out: Hong Kong's last neon signs in the spotlight". South China Morning Post. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  14. ^ "A Light Never Goes Out: 22nd New York Asian Film Festival". NYAFF. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  15. ^ "New York Asian Film Festival 2023". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  16. ^ Hsin-yu, Wang; Hsin-Yin, Lee (27 September 2022). "Hong Kong film 'Limbo' leads Golden Horse Award nominations". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  17. ^ "Nomination List of The 41st Hong Kong Film Awards". Hong Kong Film Awards. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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