Paradise Girls

In a frame tale on a heavenly sun-drenched beach, three women reflect on recent, dramatic turns in their lives. Their stories are told in three separate, successive flashbacks, in all of which a man plays a major role. The first woman, Miki, travels after her lover from Tokyo to the Netherlands, after he has gone back home. The second, Pei Pei, works in a Chinese snack bar in Ekelen, Zuid-Holland, along with her conservative, dissatisfied father who does not feel at home in Holland. Shirley, finally, lives in Hong Kong as a single mother. Her little son has a heart condition; she tries to find the money to pay for the costly surgery. Director Pyng Hu shows the three women's emotions and doubts in a composed, attentive style, often using long shots and scenes, precise frames and subtle music.