Blue Sun Palace
In Constance Tsang’s strikingly original, Cannes-winning social realist debut, two Queens-based Chinese immigrants find solace in their shared grief over a massage parlor worker they each loved in their own way before tragedy struck.
Tickets
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Monday, May 19, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Saturday, May 24, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Blue Sun Palace opens in a Chinese restaurant where Didi (Haipeng Xu), an open-hearted woman from Hunan, and Cheung (Kang-sheng Lee, known for having appeared in all of Tsai-Ming Liang’s films), a reserved man from Taiwan, share a plate of marinated chicken and discuss where to go next. Wedged between their conversation and the food, there’s a sense of hope for future dates as an antidote for their loneliness. They are immigrants forging new lives in the US. Cheung is a migrant laborer; Didi works at a massage parlor in Queens with other Chinese immigrants. Among them is Amy (Ke-Xi Wu), a gifted cook who dreams of opening her own restaurant. When Didi is tragically killed, Cheung and Amy form an unexpected bond as they navigate their grief and search for connection. Set mostly in Chinese-speaking spaces in Queens, Blue Sun Palace offers a quiet, realistic portrayal of immigrant life in New York, where English is rarely spoken and interactions with non-immigrant Americans are largely commodified. Director Constance Tsang gives us confident direction in her debut feature, bringing a fresh exploration to how American newcomers might find comfort and solace in one another in an otherwise alienating land.
- Director: Constance Tsang
- Principal Cast: Ke-Xi Wu, Lee Kang Sheng, Haixpeng Xu, Min Han Hsieh, Lisha Zheng
- Country: USA
- Year: 2024
- Running Time: 116 min.
- Producer: Norm Li
- Screenplay: Sally Sun Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony Yang
- Cinematographers: Evaline Wu Huang
- Editors: Sami Jano
- Music: Ava Yuriko Hama
- Website: Official Film Website
- Awards: Cannes Film Festival 2024 (French Touch Jury Prize), Cairo International Film Festival 2024 (Best Actor)
- Filmography: Debut Feature Film
- Language: Mandarin
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- Format: DCP
- US Distributor: Dekanalog
- International Sales: Charades