Nostalgia, as in the longing for something lost, takes on a double meaning in Anastasia Tsang’s debut feature. On the surface, the thing lost is the craft of neon sign-making, which the film’s protagonist, Heung, played by veteran Hong Kong actor Sylvia Chang, attempts to maintain after the death of her husband, Bill (Simon Yam), who was a master of the art. In another sense, it is the loss of Hong Kong itself, which once boasted a brilliant night glimmer thanks to its neon-lit boulevards, now garishly illuminated by LEDs and fluorescent lights. Of course, Hong Kong has lost much more in recent years, but Tsang thinks that the end of that neon glow is enough to represent it all.

Her movie is a strictly sentimental affair. Heung was always skeptical of Bill’s calling, especially as the years passed and fewer and fewer businesses availed themselves of his wares, but after his death she begins to appreciate his contribution, visiting locations where his works once made their mark indelibly, and she meets others who miss the neon, including Leo (Henock Chou), a young man of no particular distinction who claims he was Bill’s “apprentice” and continues to squat in Bill’s old workshop. Leo and Heung eventually try to extend Bill’s legacy against all odds. Then there’s Heung’s daughter, Prism (Cecilia Choi), who fortifies the allegory. Like many of her compatriots, she sees no future in her beloved city, and is planning to move with her fiancee to Australia. 

Tsang seems to be saying that the whole economic rationale behind the elimination of neon points to a future that disdains creativity for the sake of convenience. In Bill’s workshop, Heung and Leo endeavor to recreate his most indelible creations for the enjoyment of people who have nothing else to hold onto as they approach the end of their lives. In interviews, Tsang has acknowledged that her film was difficult to produce in today’s environment because of its “literary flavor,” and while the script has no overt political message, its piquant nostalgia says more than the characters themselves let on.

In Cantonese. Opens Jan. 12 in Tokyo at Bunkamura Le Cinema Miyashita Shibuya (050-6875-5280), Cinemart Shinjuku (03-5369-2831).

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photo (c) A Light Never Goes Out Limited