SHANGHAI JIAQIMY AMERICAN GRANDSON (SHANGHAI JIAQI) Asian Cinema

Director Ann Hui brings her well-defined characters to life through intimate, sensitive observations of their personal rituals, eccentricities, hopes and fears. In My American Grandson, she lovingly portrays Ku, a slightly eccentric widower who leads a quiet life in Shanghai. When his spoiled American grandson visits, Ku tries desperately to please him, but for a boy accustomed to Nintendo games and his own room, his grandfather’s lifestyle seems cramped and unsophisticated The two must overcome generation and culture gaps to achieve some kind of mutual understanding. Hui’s carefully framed compositions and rich, evocative colors paint a fascinating portrait of Shanghai and its people. -Deborah Mccrae