Cheng Wing-Mui

A Cantonese librettist enjoys immense popularity over the course of decades, followed by decline.

The "Hu-Du-Men" (loosely translated as "stage door") is an imaginary line separating the stage from reality, and a line that must be crossed each and every night by Sum (Josephine Siao), the aging star of a Cantonese Opera troupe. Nearing the twilight of a storied career, Sum must face a variety of challenging new obstacles, including the possible emigration of her family come 1997, the appearance of a promising young actress (Anita Yuen), the hiring of a Western-schooled stage director (David Wu), the surprising revelation of her daughter's sexuality, and finally the reappearance of a shocking secret from her past. Through it all, Sum must retain her professionalism and dignity, as the "Hu-Du-Men" between the stage and her life begins to blur. Emotional, intimate direction and Raymond To's intelligent, relevant screenplay make Hu-Du-Men worthwhile cinema, but it's Josephine Siao's brilliant, emotionally dynamic performance that sets this film above the rest.

From a conservative family background, Law Ka Sing hides his homosexual identity in an attempt to conform. Sunny, Sing's boyfriend for eight years is just the opposite, and lives his life out of the closet. Although he deeply loves Sing, he is unwilling to part with the colorful night life, which is in extreme contrast with Sing. Sing's father is also constantly rushing him to marry, and Sing's "girlfriend" Chuen is returning to Hong Kong from Canada and requesting for him to choose between his real or fake lover.