A Balloon's Landing

Teng I-han's 2024 film sends two lost men down the same road. Tian-Yu, from Hong Kong, tried to be a writer and stalled; Xiang, whom he meets in Taipei, comes out of the street gangs. The two set off together to find the Bay of Whales, a place said to open onto paradise. The film does not really treat that search as a geographical goal; the journey becomes a span in which two people measure how far they can hold on to each other. The movement between Hong Kong and Taiwan adds another layer to their sense of belonging nowhere. The relationship between Terrance Lau and Fandy Fan carries the entire emotional weight. The telling is slow and avoids explanation. Who it's for: viewers who like East Asian independent film and melancholy takes on the road movie. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a clear resolution or plain information about where these characters came from.