ArtsEmerson’s feature film “Suk Suk” depicts the poignant, quietly emotional story of two closeted, married men living in Hong Kong in their twilight years, who secretly begin a relationship together. Carrying a poetically shot and intimate narrative, the film, directed and written by Raymond Yeung, will be featured in ArtsEmerson’s Projecting Connections: Chinese American Experiences series, streaming from June 9-13. Through its sensitive depiction of the characters’ lives, the movie offers insight into what it means to be queer in Asia, particularly for a generation that emphasizes tradition and sacrifice.
The film documents the experiences of Pak, a 70-year-old taxi cab driver, who meets Hoi, a 65-year-old retired, single father, in a park. The two instantly develop a connection and start a clandestine relationship, which their more conservative families do not know about. While they begin to wonder what it would be like to have a future together, they are both very proud of the families they have built independently and do not want to give up their lifestyles. It becomes evident that the men have fallen in love, but societal pressures and dedication to their children and, in Pak’s case, spouse threaten to tear them apart.
Yeung had read a book about the histories of older, gay men in Hong Kong, which presented interviews with individuals from that group. He was inspired to meet some of the people highlighted in the book, and one person’s story stood out: a man who said that he had no regrets, even though he lives with a wife and family who do not know about his homosexuality. This story was partly what influenced him to write the script.
“For us, who have lived in the West for a long time, we’ve always felt that if you have been in the closet for all your life, you have not been honest to yourself, and in a way, it’s a sham – your marriage is a sham. But when you look at it, things are not that black and white,” said Yeung. “I think that really inspired me to write this story, with that kind of point of view. We are always assuming that because you have this kind of ‘fake marriage,’ it should be shameful, but from his point of view it is not. I don’t really want to judge the character. I just want to present it so that the audience can watch it and hopefully have some empathy with the choices that they make,” he added.
In one part of the movie, Hoi participates in a support group for older, gay men, who are mostly closeted and seem to occupy an invisible space in society, who have fallen through the cracks. The group plans to attend a public forum to ask the government for senior citizen homes for gay people, but no individuals are willing to come forward and speak on behalf of the rest. If nobody will speak, asks one member, how will they ever have a voice?
“Hopefully this is the last generation that has to live this way,” said Yeung. “I think now, things are certainly changing. …In Hong Kong, there’s some movements now, with individuals challenging the law, and there are some changes that are happening. We hope that things will get better, and this generation will be the last generation, hopefully, that will have to live in that kind of shadow.”
Susan Chinsen, the creative producer for ArtsEmerson, said that part of the reason why Projecting Connections chose to feature “Suk Suk” is to show unity, understand the diversity of experiences, and to increase visibility, particularly for a community that faces a lack of acceptance or the presence of stigma. In the wake of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and the spread of anti-Asian racism, it is more important than ever to be sharing stories that represent the multifaceted realities of Asians and Asian Americans. Yeung’s film helps to open up that ongoing conversation.
“We, as a community, Asian Americans, keep telling people that there is a problem of anti-Asian hate in this country and xenophobia that has been happening for well over a century,” said Chinsen. “And nobody believes us. It’s taken something like a pandemic and a mass shooting to bring more recognition to it for people to actually believe us. When you see Asian Americans as a monolith and the same, and you don’t understand those differences, [that is part of the problem]. For a community like elder, queer men to feel like they can be seen, even though they may not be out, but to know that these stories exist too, hopefully that adds to some kind of comfort, knowing that maybe it will be better for the generation. As more people know about these things, it doesn’t have to be as hard. The more you know, the more you might be able to change.”
