Before working on the ultra mainstream “Oversteer“, Derrick Lui had a completely different approach to his works. “Rose” for example, is a short film that focuses on people with dementia. The film was supported by Lien Foundation under Storeys campaign and was selected for the 5th International Film Festivals and Awards Macao.
Rose review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The film begins with an elderly woman alone in her apartment, before the setting changes completely, in a family meeting of two parents and their daughter, with the latter obviously having some angst regarding a swimming competition she is about to enter. The three of them then move in the aforementioned apartment, where the aforementioned woman is revealed to be the girl’s grandmother. However, her door is unlocked and she is dancing by herself while listening to music. The father is somewhat angry, but the girl finds solace in “playing” with her grandmother. Eventually, though, they leave, and the elderly woman, who is obviously suffering from dementia, is alone again. The reason for her actions is soon revealed.
Derrick Lui directs a very tender family drama, which manages to put dementia under a rather thorough perspective, despite the fact that the short is just 13 minutes long. In that fashion, and particularly regarding dementia, there are two key scenes in the movie. One is when the senile grandmother realizes what is happening to her, as much as her loneliness, with the scene highlighting the brief moments people who face similar issues are sane, which are equally difficult for them. The second is the reasons for her dancing and forgetting everything else, with the scene being equally touching.
Subscribe to AMP newsletter by clicking on the image below
Regarding her relationship with her family, the father’s tame anger is indicative of how people who deal with relatives with senility lose their patience after a point. On the other hand, the interactions with the granddaughter, and particularly the way the latter finds solace from her anxiousness in her grandmother, sends a rather optimistic message, while also adding yet another tender moment in the movie.
Leang Lung See’s cinematography is on a rather high level, with the presentation of both the realistic and the dreamily ‘senile’ moments being quite clear. Max Tersch’s editing results in a relatively slow pace that fits the aesthetics nicely, while allowing the story to unfold without rushing.
Xiang Yun, as the titular grandmother, is impressive in the way she presents multiple faces of senility, while her interactions with her granddaughter additionally highlight Carey Ou‘s acting, and the wonderful chemistry of the two.
“Rose” is an excellent short, equally entertaining, well shot and contextually rich in an overall rather competent effort by Derrick Lui.
