The 2024 film Blue Sun Palace (蓝色太阳宫) will play in Pittsburgh on September 21 as part of the 2025 SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.
In Blue Sun Palace’s Chinese-speaking Queens, Cheung is a migrant laborer and Didi works at a massage parlor with other Chinese immigrants. Among them is Amy (Ke-Xi Wu), a gifted cook who dreams of opening her own restaurant. When Didi is tragically killed, Cheung and Amy form an unexpected bond as they navigate their grief and search for connection. Blue Sun Palace offers a quiet, realistic portrayal of immigrant life in New York, where English is rarely spoken and interactions with non-immigrant Americans are largely commodified. While there are daily indignities foisted upon the immigrants, Blue Sun Palace is no misery showcase. Intimacy and warmth co-exist with economic anxieties and deep grief that are articulated with uncommon intelligence and understanding of how adults endure any given day. Director Constance Tsang gives us confident direction in her debut feature, bringing a fresh exploration to how American newcomers might find comfort and solace in one another in an otherwise alienating land.
Content warning: Violence, sexual scenarios
Tickets are free to everyone with a PITT ID, $5 for all other students, and $11 for General Admission. To purchase or reserve tickets, click buy now on the front page next to the film, or click here.
The movie plays in room 343 Alumni Hall on the University of Pittsburgh campus (map) from 1:30 pm and tickets are available online.
