Love Conquers All

Ah Peng, a young Chinese-Malay girl from the provinces, comes to the capital Kuala Lumpur to work behind her aunt's stall. At first she seems to have neither time nor interest in the joys and dangers of the big city. But at the public phone booth while making her ritual calls to her family and boyfriend back home, she soon encounters John. He follows Ah Peng everywhere, pursuing her fervently until she finally succumbs to him. When John suddenly disappears, we watch helplessly as Ah Ping's fate, like that of many others, is inexorably sealed. The young Chinese filmmaker from Malaysia creates a vivid yet fragile image of love, poor communication and shifting relationships in contemporary Kuala Lumpur. Using apparently simple film devices, she evokes the emotions, silences and uncertainties lurking within the changing landscape of a modern city. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)