Read about the film's connection to food and its original triptych concept at Wong Kar-wai's Love Odysseys IFC Center
In 2000, the Hong Kong Film Archive approached Wong Kar-wai with a monumental task: create a short piece to celebrate and raise awareness for the preservation of old, decaying films.
A story about two 1960s neighbors who discover their spouses are cheating, leaning into the era's new food trends like electric rice cookers and instant ramen.
As the story unfolds, we see Mr. Chow and Su Li-zhen struggling to navigate their feelings for each other, amidst the constraints of their traditional society. Through a series of subtle glances, tender gestures, and hushed conversations, the two characters convey the intensity of their emotions, creating a palpable sense of tension and longing. in the mood for love 2001 short film
For many years, In the Mood for Love 2001 was impossible to find. Today, it is exclusively available to watch in select cinemas as part of special screenings of the 4K restored In the Mood for Love . The short is .
For years, this short film existed as mythical "lost media". It was only screened publicly during a masterclass at the in 2001. However, it recently resurfaced during limited, exclusive theatrical runs for the feature film's 25th Anniversary Special Edition . The short grants cinephiles a rare window into Wong’s fragmented, jazz-like creative process. The Origin: "Three Stories About Food"
Wong Kar-wai’s masterpiece is universally celebrated as a pinnacle of romantic longing and cinematic restraint. Yet, behind the iconic imagery of Maggie Cheung gliding in exquisite qipaos and Tony Leung exhaling slow plumes of cigarette smoke lies a hidden chapter of the film's history. For decades, serious cinephiles whispered about a legendary, rarely seen companion piece. Titled In the Mood for Love 2001 , this unique short film was originally screened just once at a Cannes Film Festival masterclass. Read about the film's connection to food and
Tony Leung plays the store owner, and Maggie Cheung portrays a regular customer.
: After years of being considered "elusive," the short has recently been restored in 4K and included as a supplement in the 25th Anniversary Edition of In the Mood for Love released by Janus Films and The Criterion Collection . Comparison: Hua Yang De Nian Hua (2000)
This paper examines Wong Kar-wai’s short film "The Hand" (2001/2004), often contextualized alongside his feature masterpiece In the Mood for Love (2000). While In the Mood for Love explores emotional repression through spatial constraints and missed opportunities, "The Hand" radicalizes these themes through the motif of tactile memory. By analyzing the film’s cinematography, costume design, and narrative structure, this paper argues that "The Hand" serves as a distilled, darker reflection of the "Wong Kar-wai universe," where touch replaces the gaze as the primary vehicle for unrequited love and temporal stagnation. Chow and Su Li-zhen struggling to navigate their
As you watch the film, pay attention to the subtle expressions and body language of the characters, as well as the way the camera captures the textures and colors of 1960s Hong Kong. Notice the way the music underscores the emotions on screen, creating a sense of tension and longing.
We see her walking through the temple corridors, her iconic cheongsams replaced by softer, travel-ready attire, though no less elegant. Her appearance here functions as a phantom limb. It suggests that Chow is not walking through the ruins alone; he is walking with the memory of her. The short film blurs the line between reality (Chow alone) and his internal projection (Su Li-zhen with him). It visualizes the film's central thesis: that they are now people who exist only in each other's minds.