Lai, Miu-suet Carol (黎妙雪)

Critical Biography Filmography Reviews Links Bibliography

Lai, Miu-suet Carol – Critical Biography Top

Originally trained in marketing, Carol Lai entered the film industry in 1989 as an assistant director and worked behind the scenes in various capacities for over a decade, before she made her feature film debut as a writer-director with Glass Tears (2001). Lai’s debut was an intimate and sensitive drama about a runaway teen and her relationship with her various family members, including her grandfather – a retired policeman – who goes searching for her in the city. Selected for inclusion as part of Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, Glass Tears starred newcomers Zeny Kwok and Tsui Tin-Yau (of the group Shine), alongside veteran actress Carrie Ng and Shaw Brothers’ legend Lo Lieh (in his final performance as the girl’s grandfather). The film was made on a shoestring budget but received generally positive reviews, and quickly led to Lai’s second feature as writer-director, The Floating Landscape (2003). Starring Ekin Cheng, Karena Lam, and mainland actor Liu Ye, The Floating Landscape was shot in Qingdao and revolves around a young girl who goes in search of the landscape she sees frequently depicted in her recently departed lover’s many paintings. Lai enlisted the help of celebrated Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao for the paintings featured in the film. It won many admirers in France and, in particular, Japan, where a book was commissioned with further paintings by Liao, inspired by the film. The film was also screened in competition at the international film festivals of Venice and Busan.

Nearly four years passed before Lai directed another film, and from Naraka 19 (2007) onwards, Lai’s work has been more genre-bound and commercial in orientation. Starring Gillian Chung (from the pop duo Twins), Naraka 19 is a horror film centered on young girls who find access to the different levels of hell through a cell phone message group. Produced by Andrew Lau, The Third Eye (2007) is a thriller about voyeurism, starring a young cast and set in a small motel on rural Lantau Island that is rigged with hidden cameras set up by one of the inhabitants. Lai turned to the mainland market in 2012 with The Second Woman (2012), a thriller starring Shu Qi and produced by Gordon Chan. Shu Qi plays dual roles as twin sisters obsessed with the same man (Shawn Yue). When one of the sisters goes missing, the identity of the remaining sibling is thrown into question.

Filmography Top

Feature Films:

Role	Title (English)	Title (Chinese)	Year
Director Writer	The Second Woman (Trailer)	情謎	2012
Producer	The Drunkard (Trailer)	酒徒	2010
Director	Naraka 19 (Trailer)	地獄19層	2007
Director Writer	The Third Eye	小心眼	2007
Director Editor Writer	The Floating Landscape	戀之風景	2003
Director Writer	Glass Tears	玻璃少女	2001
Editor	Among the Stars	惑星軌跡	2000
Production Manager	After the Crescent	月未老	1997
Writer	Her Judgement Day	剃刀情人	1993
Writer	Heart Against Hearts	三人做世界	1992
Assistant director	The Days of Being Dumb	咖喱辣椒II亞飛與亞基	1992
Assistant director	Fruit Punch	Yes 一族	1991

Shorts:

Role	Title (English)	Title (Chinese)	Year
Director	Father’s Toy	爸爸的玩具	1998

Reviews Top

The Second Woman (2012):

Love HK Film – The Second Woman

Variety – Review: ‘The Second Woman’

The Drunkard (2010):

Love HK Film – The Drunkard

Variety – Review: ‘The Drunkard’

Naraka 19 (2007):

Asian Movie Web – Naraka 19

Hong Kong Cinemagic – Naraka 19

Love HK Film – Naraka 19

movieXclusive – NARAKA 19: The 19th GATE OF HELL (HK)

The Spinning Image – Naraka 19

The Third Eye (2007):

HK Neo Reiviews – The Third Eye (2007-HK)

Love HK Film – The Third Eye

movieXclusive – The Third Eye (HK)

The Floating Landscape (2003):

Far East Films – The Floating Landscape

Love HK Film – The Floating Landscape

Screen Daily – The Floating Landscape

So Good Reviews – The Floating Landscape (2003)

The Guardian – Hollywood Opts Out of Golden Lion Running

Variety – Review: ‘The Floating Landscape’

Glass Tears (2001):

Dvd Beaver – Glass Tears

Far East Film – Glass Tears

So Good Reviews – Glass Tears (2001)

Variety – Review: ‘Glass Tears’

Links Top

Cinemasie – Carol LAI Miu-suet

Hong Kong Cinemagic – CAROL LAI MIU SUET

Hong Kong Movie Database – Carol Lai Miu-Suet

IMDB – Miu-Suet Lai

Bibliography Top

Elley, Derek. “Glass Tears.” Variety May 28 – Jun 3 2001. Print.
Hansen, Jeremy. “Hong Kong: Room for Arthouse in Mei Ah’s Empire.” Variety Oct 15 – Oct 21 2001. Print.
Stokes, Lisa Odham. “Lai, Carol Miu-suet.” Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2007. 215-16. Print.