An Autumn's Tale

An Autumn's Tale, directed by Mabel Cheung, is a Hong Kong film about Jennifer, a young Hong Kong woman who moves to New York's Chinatown, attempts suicide after discovering her boyfriend has cheated on her, and is saved by her distant cousin, nicknamed "Sampan," who takes her under his wing. Director Cheung drew on her own experience working in Chinatown while studying film at NYU, shooting the film in a semi-documentary style across real New York locations. The film won Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Film Awards; Chow Yun-Fat won a Best Actor award at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards for the role. The film later made the Hong Kong Film Awards' list of the 100 Best Chinese Films. Who it's for: anyone curious about an immigrant story drawn from its director's own experience in New York's Chinatown, shot in a semi-documentary style across real city locations, and a sweep at Hong Kong's biggest film awards. Who it's not for: those wanting a glossy, studio built New York, since the film captures the real texture of Chinatown, the Lower East Side, and the Brooklyn Bridge.