Distribution company Dekanalog has released the official trailer for “Blue Sun Palace,” the migrant drama and feature debut of filmmaker Constance Tsang.
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Ke-Xi Wu (“The Road to Mandalay”) and Chinese actor Haipeng Xu (“Venus By Water”).
The official synopsis reads, “Within the confines of a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, Amy and Didi navigate romance, happiness, and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. Despite the physical and emotional toll their work extracts, the women who live at the parlor have fortified an impenetrable sisterhood.
“When tragedy strikes on Lunar New Year, Amy is forced to consider her own destiny for the first time ever. Despite finding solace in the company of Cheung, Amy must leave the city and prioritize her own spirit in order to survive. In an unseen part of New York, Blue Sun Palace explores the lives of transient souls trying to find a sense of permanence.”
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“Blue Sun Palace” nabbed the French Touch prize from the 2024 Cannes Critics’ Week jury. Variety‘s review of the film reads, “More akin to European art films than to American indies, ‘Palace’ prioritizes mood over plot. Tsang allows her experienced actors plenty of breathing space to convey the melancholy of their existence in situations where dreams are more likely to be deferred than to come true, but are necessary nevertheless.”
“Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, and Tony Yang. Tsang’s debut feature will have its Los Angeles premiere at The American Cinematheque on April 22, and will then open theatrical runs at both the Laemmle Glendale in L.A. and Metrograph in New York City on April 25.
Watch the trailer below.