LOVE LIFTING
Hong Kong, 2012, 92 minutes, Colour.
Elanne Kwong, Chapman To.
Directed by Herman Lau.
Each of the words in this title needs noting. This is a film about an athlete, a woman skilled in gymnastics and weightlifting. However, she has diabetes and this puts an end, she thinks, to an athletics career.
However, a writer moves in to the house next door, they become friends, he supporting her, urging her to go into sports coaching where she flourishes. They marry, have a child.
The pathos of the love element, quite unexpected, is that the husband dies in an accident, quite jolting for the audience. The wife’s story is told in his words and she finds his diary and his account of their life.
This is the kind of film that could have been easily made in the United States, emotional, a touch of the heart on sleeve – but, gently, sometimes sadly, sometimes humorously, moving in its impact.
1. The historical story? Chinese? Universal? Universal content, style?
2. China in the 21st century, the new China, gymnasium and weightlifting, the country town and its life, the marriage, pregnancy, birth and family? Diabetes, the medical background? Further training, testing, and the Championships? The musical score?
3. The framework of the diary, the husband recording his memories, significant events, not on the computer, writing his own words? Then his death, his wife finding the diary and reading it?
4. Li Li, the contests, the winning, her losing, her talents? Collapsing, the diabetes (and her getting better)? Going home, doing the lifting, working with the delivery men, getting the money, her brother and enthusiasm? Encountering Yung, sharing, marrying, happy life, her pregnancy, the difficulties, the choice to have the child, died, her being sick, the birth? The years passing, love for her son? The prospects in life?
5. The time of the Beijing Olympics, the idea that she should go back to weightlifting, the husband making the contact, paying, buying her shoes, her training and the variety of coaches? Their support?
6. Yung becoming a househusband, looking after the baby, the meals, shopping, the neighbours hoping that Li Li would succeed, his son in the toilet, playing with the toy car, his wandering away, his father reprimanding him, hitting him? His illness, the father’s care? Li li, the exasperation, coming home, angry and sorry?
7. The range of training, successes, the issue of the substance, the question of the insulin, the bureaucracy about the documents, the translation, her being accepted?
8. The neighbour, the warning about the ex-wife? Yung, his mother, not having seen her for seven years, the discussions, telling her his story, the reconciliation? Her eagerness to see her grandson?
9. You Li Li happy, his going back to the car, the accident, hospital, his death? Her reaction, alone, the diary? Asking him why he had not kept his promises? Her wanting to win gold for him?
10. The further training, strong motivation, her memories? The national championships, the range of events, the heavyweights, up to 125 kg, the flashbacks of their life giving her motivation? The runner-up and her skills? The medal, the acclaim?
