Fly Me to the Moon director on universal theme of belonging in movie about mainland Chinese migrants in Hong Kong

Chuk sets the movie in three acts – 1997, 2007 and 2017 – capturing not only the sisters’ growth but also the city’s changes. The poignant film won two awards at the prestigious Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival last year.

“I have always aspired to create a coming-of-age film,” the screenwriter mused. “I believe our childhood shaped who we are today.”

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While Hong Kong is no stranger to newcomers from mainland China, who have entered the city in waves throughout history, Chuk noted the importance of having more representation of the group on the silver screen.

“Ever since the release of Comrades: Almost a Love Story in 1996, there have not been many films featuring mainland migrants,” she said, referring to the classic film about two immigrants eking out a living in Hong Kong.

“However, a large population like me came to Hong Kong in the 1990s ... I remember many of my primary school classmates were also from the mainland,” she recalled. “Therefore, I wanted to make a movie to record this generation.”

While the movie focuses on the lives of mainland Chinese people in Hong Kong, the director believes its themes can also resonate with others.

“Everyone could be a minority in different circumstances or feel like an outcast ... I think this sense of not belonging is universal, and we don’t have to agree with it but learn to live with it.”

Moving to the city at the age of six, Chuk recalled her initial challenges: at first, she could not speak Cantonese and struggled to fit in.

“I was eager to learn the language and picked it up quickly ... Not only did I want to communicate with my classmates but I also wanted to connect with this place and live here,” she reflected.

Different from the sisters in her film who are ashamed of their mainland heritage, Chuk takes pride in her roots.

“All my friends knew I was from Hunan, and I would talk to my parent in my dialect in front of my friends. I was proud that I could speak different languages.”

She added: “When I go back to my hometown, I don’t feel connected with the place ... Although it gave me a lot of joy in my childhood, that all belongs to my memories now. I see Hunan as my root, and I am a Hongkonger. I don’t think these identities are against each other.”

But Chuk observed that not every migrant from the mainland was willing to talk about their background: “I wondered why they would choose to conceal where they are from.”

“Growing up, I didn’t suffer from those traumas [identity crisis] in adolescence because I am transparent – being honest with yourself is key,” the director reflected.

Despite her confidence in her identity, she recalled how some friends during her student days would point out their differences: “Sometimes when we argued, they would say, ‘All right, it’s not your fault that you cannot understand because you are from the mainland’.”

“I realised that some people would see coming from the mainland as negative and would try to use it to attack you.”

She added: “I wasn’t upset by their words. I think [being a mainland migrant] ... is something neutral that has no harm to others. Being a minority should not be deemed as detrimental.”

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From a young age, Chuk turned to writing to vent her frustrations with not being understood: “I am a sentimental person and I don’t have any siblings. So when I felt lonely or bored, I would read and write poems and stories.”

Her passion led her to study Chinese literature and sociology at the University of Hong Kong in 2010. In her final year there, she was introduced to filmmaking.

“My friends suggested turning some of my writings into short films. Since there were only three of us, I wrote the script, acted and directed myself,” recalled Chuk of how she got her first taste of filmmaking.

“I always loved acting ... but being a director was never in my wildest dreams.”

In 2020, she wrote the screenplay for Fly Me to the Moon, which was selected by the First Feature Film Initiative to receive funding.

Reflecting on her award-winning film – as well as her acting debut playing one of the sisters – Chuk expressed: “Directing, writing scripts, and playing a role for this movie gives me a great sense of accomplishment.”

Of the many scenes that mirror her childhood experiences, the director shared that her favourite moment was when the family rides a glass lift together.

This was one of Chuk’s very first memories in Hong Kong: “I remember taking a glass lift with my parents, and the views were stunning. It was the first time I was captivated by the night vibe of the city. I was over the moon to be able to revisit and replicate this scene.”

“No matter how many times I re-watch this scene, it’s filled with emotions. It was a contradictory scene, with the poignant background music as the girl and dad smile at each other ... Their family is broken, but this [moment] is all the father could give to his daughter,” the writer explained.

By using the moon as a symbol in the film’s title, Chuk wanted to remind people to embrace imperfection in life: “As the moon shows its various phases, life also has ups and downs. Nothing lasts forever between people; what we can do is to remember the great memories.”