Directed by Sylvia Chang, who avoids the usual pitfalls of the greencard-marriage movie. Set in Lower Manhattan, this film chronicles the travails of two Taiwanese illegal aliens: Siao-yu works as a sweatshop seamstress while her lover, Jiang Wei, is a student working in Chinatown’s fish market. They meet a middle-aged Italian-American, Mario, a writer who has racked up a large gambling debt. They agree to give him the $10,000 he needs if he will only marry Siao-yu and get her a green card. Following the “wedding,” Siao-yu moves into his spare bedroom, after which they become unexpected and oddly-matched friends. Meanwhile, Siao-yu’s actual boyfriend, and Mario’s wife — who left him long ago — reassert their presence during this bogus arrangement.
Directed by Sylvia Chang | Starring : Rene Liu, Daniel J. Travanti, Chung-Hua Tou, Marj Dusay, Tai-Feng Hsia | Presented at Toronto Film Festival, Chicago Film Festival
Chinese Cinema 