非法移民 (The Illegal Immigrant). 1985. Hong Kong. Directed by Mabel Cheung. Screenplay by Alex Law. With Ching Yung-cho, Cindy Ou, Liao Chung-yu, Peter Lee Kui-yuen. DCP. In Cantonese, English; English subtitles. 98 min.
Mabel Cheung’s New York University graduation film, made with the help of several classmates, became the first in her celebrated “migration” trilogy. In this bittersweet, poignant tale, an immigrant smuggled into New York via Hong Kong tries to escape arrest by the Immigration and Naturalization Service via a sham marriage with a Chinese green card holder, only to discover that their hearts—and fate—have plans of their own.