Liu Xuan (Chao) is a rich property developer, wreaking ecological havoc with his multi-billion land reclamation project. A mermaid society affected by the reclamation project sends the beautiful Shan (Lin Yun) to disguise herself as a human and assassinate Xuan.
Curator’s Recommendation:
Chow’s take on The Little Mermaid isn’t just one of China’s biggest blockbusters ever: it’s an eco-crisis fairy-tale romcom that pushes his mo lei tau (“nonsense comedy”) approach to grand heights. Cast as the lead after a search involving 120,000 participants, Lin Yun is a true discovery and aces Chow’s slapstick approach to madness.
This film responds to one of Odyssey 2023’s festival programme strands, ‘Biodiversity’. It is also the origin of inspiration for the festival’s theme this year - ‘Global Sustainability’.
“Chow never forgets that the camera is the funniest tool at his disposal, and the only one that speaks in a language that everyone can understand.” - Slate
A pre-screening introduction will be provided by the curators.
This screening is part of Odyssey 2023 film festival (26 May – 30 June)’s Stephen Chow in Focus programme, curated by Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy and Riley Wong.