Durian Durian

The durian is a prickly fruit that, despite its disgusting odour, is regarded as a delicacy by connoisseurs. Fruit Chan used this fruit as a metaphor for Hong Kong; bitter on the outside, but sweet for those who manage to penetrate the outer layer. The idea for Durian Durian emerged while looking for locations for the other film by Chan that is being screened at the festival, Little Cheung. The hand-held, improvised images of Durian Durian provide a realistic picture of the metropolis, and the contradictions of contemporary China and Hong Kong are revealed in the complex characters, convincingly played by non-professional actors.Just like the durian, the story of protagonist Yan is not what it seems. She comes from Northern China and works in Hong Kong as a prostitute. When she is not working, she watches TV in her tiny apartment. The same building is also home to Fan, an eight-year-old girl who lives illegally in Hong Kong with her family. She washes up in one of the many restaurants in the rough entertainment district close to their home and she is amazed by life on the streets. Yan and Fan become friends. But then Yan’s residence permit runs out and she returns to the North. Back home, where no one knows about her work as a prostitute, life contrasts starkly with the life she leads in hectic Hong Kong. When she receives a durian from Fan by post as a New Year’s present, Yan knows which path she has to take.