槟榔血

　　Li Qi is working for a dolphin show, his friend Ren Yu chugs along with his mobile karaoke, working the surfers’ beach along the coast of Hainan Island where they both live. The tourists are delighted by Ren’s physical similarity to the screen actor Leslie Cheung and are happy to pay for a photo with him – or to get drunk with him. When a young woman joins this polyamorous couple, things are no dif- ferent at rst and an open, three-way rela onship would seem possible. Together, Li Qi, Ren Yu and Bai Ling set out to test the limita ons of a restric- ve society as well as their own sexuality. But then, something happens that rocks the protagonists to the core and will have a deep and las ng e ect on them... Director Hu Jia portrays a genera on that would appear to move casually between tradi on and a courageously alterna ve way of life. The lm’s unusual se ng is compelling from the word go. Largely without dialogue, this drama instead relies on small gestures that are full of meaning. The lm’s quietly explicit images tell a tale of love, sex, trust and brutality – providing a picture of everyday life in China that is seldom seen on the big screen.