Text: Ashford Pritchard

With themes encompassing death, rebirth and memory, Soundless Wind Chime is an attempt by director Kit Hung to capture his own experiences of grief and loss. Ricky, a young Chinese man, journeys across rural Switzerland seeking closure following his boyfriend’s death, while the their story is played out through his memories. The plot incorporates complex subject matter such as sexuality, culture, love and loss. Filmed across international locations, the movie is an ambitious first feature from the Hong Kong born and raised film-maker, who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Told in a non-linear fashion, the story unfolds through a series of flashbacks, evoked by Ricky’s experiences as he searches through the European countryside for the last remnants of his lover’s soul. Ricky is introduced as a young Chinese immigrant working as a waiter in a local diner, while living with his prostitute aunt. His life changes when he crosses paths with a down-and-out but very handsome Pascal. Pascal is trapped in an abusive relationship with another Swiss man, a street performer who forces him to pick pockets. He steals Ricky’s wallet, only to be struck by guilt and return it, an act that marks the start of their unlikely relationship.

Soundless wind chime is a semi-autobiographical exploration of grief by Hung, who wrote and produced the film as well as directing it. He admits that the realisation of the story was an almost therapeutic process, which accounts for the heavy portrayal of emotion that clings to the protagonist throughout his lonely journey.

As the movie flits between Ricky’s barren emotional voyage and glimpses in the events that brought him to this point, Soundless Wind Chime jolts between gritty realism and dreamlike sequences. His relationship with Pascal is shown warts and all, depicting the trials and tribulations caused by sexual and cultural differences. Actors Lu Yulai and Bernhard Bulling turn in solid performances, and cinematographer Alex Shi Yue frames scenes in such a way to highlight the lead’s physical beauty.

It is in the Hong Kong sections of the movie that it really comes into its own. Hung has captured the nuances of Chinese-Western gay relationships well, and his observations on Hong Kong are engagingly accurate. Stand out scenes include a job interview that will raise a chuckle from any foreigner who had worked in Hong Kong and the interactions between Pascal and Ricky’s colleagues. However, when the movie strays into more unfamiliar territory that the plot begins to feel the strain of the director’s stylistic approach and dedication to the emotional aspects of his story.

This is felt particularly in the elements of the film do not ring true, particularly in the later stages of the film when Ricky befriends Ueli, Pascal’s twin/doppelganger who live in the small rural town where they grew up. The two leads interactions also suffers, as the focus on visual aesthetic at the expense of dialogue also takes its toll and makes one question the true depth of Ricky and Pascal’s relationship.

Soundless Wind Chime has received plaudits at gay film festivals around the world, including the Audience Award, Best New Director, and a Special Jury Mention for Best Feature at the Turin LGBT International Film Festival. Kit Hung has done an admirable job of bringing Soundless Wind Chime to life, but the therapeutic nature of his journey means that the film will only in essence only ever be truly successful for an audience of one, the director himself.

Told in a non-linear fashion, the story unfolds through a series of flashbacks, evoked by Ricky’s experiences as he searches through the European countryside for the last remnants of his lover’s soul. Ricky is introduced as a young Chinese immigrant working as a waiter in a local diner, while living with his prostitute aunt. His life changes when he crosses paths with a down-and-out but very handsome Pascal. Pascal is trapped in an abusive relationship with another Swiss man, a street performer who forces him to pick pockets. He steals Ricky’s wallet, only to be struck by guilt and return it, an act that marks the start of their unlikely relationship.

Soundless wind chime is a semi-autobiographical exploration of grief by Hung, who wrote and produced the film as well as directing it. He admits that the realisation of the story was an almost therapeutic process, which accounts for the heavy portrayal of emotion that clings to the protagonist throughout his lonely journey.

As the movie flits between Ricky’s barren emotional voyage and glimpses in the events that brought him to this point, Soundless Wind Chime jolts between gritty realism and dreamlike sequences. His relationship with Pascal is shown warts and all, depicting the trials and tribulations caused by sexual and cultural differences. Actors Lu Yulai and Bernhard Bulling turn in solid performances, and cinematographer Alex Shi Yue frames scenes in such a way to highlight the lead’s physical beauty.

It is in the Hong Kong sections of the movie that it really comes into its own. Hung has captured the nuances of Chinese-Western gay relationships well, and his observations on Hong Kong are engagingly accurate. Stand out scenes include a job interview that will raise a chuckle from any foreigner who had worked in Hong Kong and the interactions between Pascal and Ricky’s colleagues. However, when the movie strays into more unfamiliar territory that the plot begins to feel the strain of the director’s stylistic approach and dedication to the emotional aspects of his story.

This is felt particularly in the elements of the film do not ring true, particularly in the later stages of the film when Ricky befriends Ueli, Pascal’s twin/doppelganger who live in the small rural town where they grew up. The two leads interactions also suffers, as the focus on visual aesthetic at the expense of dialogue also takes its toll and makes one question the true depth of Ricky and Pascal’s relationship.

Soundless Wind Chime has received plaudits at gay film festivals around the world, including the Audience Award, Best New Director, and a Special Jury Mention for Best Feature at the Turin LGBT International Film Festival. Kit Hung has done an admirable job of bringing Soundless Wind Chime to life, but the therapeutic nature of his journey means that the film will only in essence only ever be truly successful for an audience of one, the director himself.