Gin gwai (2002)

Some people say this world is ugly
yet it is beautiful
at the same time.
I don't know if they are right,
but
I'm about to see the world
with fresh eyes.
Wong Kar Mun, I'm giving you
a local anesthetic now.
The operation will take
about 2 hours.
Are you ready?
Who's that?
Quiet! We don't want
to alarm the nurses.
I am in the bed next to yours.
I heard that you just had
an eye operation.
I've had many operations here.
I know the whole hospital.
They are all nice to me.
How old are you?
Why so many operations?
I'm 11. I should have been
in junior high by now,
but my mother says
I have a brain tumor
which affects my nerves...
That's why I pass out all the time.
They have to remove it.
But it's so large and dangerous
they have to operate many times.
So I skipped school last year
and stayed here ever since.
You're so young, yet so brave!
Once you can see again,
I'll take you out to play.
The world is really beautiful.
Wong Kar Mun, when I remove
the bandages from your eyes,
it might hurt a little at first.
If it hurts too much, let me know.
We can always do it tomorrow.
Now, let's try.
Open your eyes slowly.
Hey, don't force yourself
if it hurts.
It hurts!
Is it too painful?
Dr Lo, she must be in a lot of pain!
She hasn't cried out
in pain ever since she was a kid!
Grandma, let Dr Lo do his job.
Please don't worry about it.
Very few patients experience
immediate success
It takes time...
...for the eye and brain
to work together.
Come on!
Ying Ying.
Ying Ying.
Hi, can you see now?
I'm Ying Ying.
Can you really see me?
I think I can see. I'm not sure.
Great! You can see!
Nurse, she can see!
Nurse,
her eyes are working!
She sees me! Come quick!
Grandma!
The hospital called!
What?
Mun can see!
Really?
Let's go to the hospital now!
Are you going to discharge me now?
Not so soon.
Every cornea recipient starts
off near-sighted...
by as much as 1,000 degrees.
Only when your eye muscles
are able to adapt,
will this falls to about
200 degrees.
When will she have perfect
eyesight then?
No one has perfect eyesight.
Most people are near-sighted
by about 100 degrees.
Does that mean...
...she will need to wear glasses?
That won't be necessary
All she needs for the moment
is a pair of sunglasses.
Mun, get some rest.
If everything goes well,
you can be released early.
You can take off your
sunglasses now.
Try to get used to the
light gradually.
If you feel pain,
or if your eyes start watering,
then you should close your eyes,
and let your eyes rest.
Here, I'll help you onto bed.
Nurse.
Is there a mirror
in every washroom?
I'll take you there.
Here.
Slowly.
Take your time and call me
if you need anything.
Who's that?
Ying Ying, is that you?
Why are you so quiet?
I'm having another operation
tomorrow.
You promised to take me out
once I can see.
You promised to take me out...
...once I can see
We'll go out and have fun...
...after your operation.
Did they say you can leave
the hospital already?
Not yet!
But even if I do, I can always
drop by for a visit.
Let's take a picture together.
Let's do it outside! Alright.
Let's go... But where?
Let's go that way!
What's this?
A camera.
Camera?
Now, look this way.
Ok.
Ready... 1, 2, 3!
Madam, are you alright?
Hello...
I'm freezing...
Send this one to Block C.
We have a full-house in Block B.
Nurse...
did the old lady pass away?
Yes, we've taken her away.
But last night...
I saw someone drop by to visit her.
They even went out together.
Are you sure?
We don't allow any visitors
here at night.
Where's Ying Ying?
She went for an operation
this morning.
Dr. Lo preferred that
you stay for two more days...
but because I'll be away on flight
duty for two weeks.
No one will be able
to pick you up then.
It was easier to have you
discharged now.
This way
you and grandma can spend more
time together.
My... it's already 3 p.m.!
Hope this place is easy to find...
...hope we won't be too late
We're only 10 minutes late
for our appointment.
I have to leave for work soon.
I'm sorry.
Dr. Lo just stepped out
for a few minutes.
Ok.
There he is.
Is my 3 o'clock here?
Yes, they are.
Mun, let's go.
Let me introduce you
to the nature of my work.
From now on,
I am Ms Wong Kar Mun's
psychotherapist.
Since Ms Wong lost her sight
at the age of two,
her visual vocabulary
is extremely limited,
and she has probably forgotten
most of that.
Lets' say.
Ms Wong, could you please
remove your glasses?
And let your eyes get used
to the light.
Can you tell me what's in my hand?
You'll recognize that
it's a stapler...
...once you touch it.
Because all your previous
knowledge of objects
were based on touch, not on sight.
Now you are no longer blind.
My job is
help you re-establish
how to use your eyes...
and understand what you see.
Actually, I'm not too worried
about that aspect.
What concerns me is your
psychological state.
After regaining sight...
many patients end up feeling
alienated and fearful.
Dr. Lo,
is the other Dr Lo a relative
of yours?
You mean Dr C.T. Lo?
Yes, he's my uncle.
So... what time do you finish
work today?
Ms Wong is my last patient
for the day.
Well... you see, I need to catch
my flight
Can I trouble you to send
Mun home after this?
I see, of course.
After all, starting from today...
I need to take Ms Wong outdoors
for her training anyway.
OK
You can go ahead.
I'm fine by myself.
I'm used to it.
That's you as a little girl.
Your father filmed this
a long time ago...
so that you could see it
if your eyes ever healed.
He stopped filming after
he divorced your mother.
That was 7 or 8 years ago.
Grandma...
Is it true when Dad comes back,
he'll take us to Vancouver?
I know you don't want to go,
but life in Vancouver moves
at a slower pace.
It will be better for you.
I can't even read Chinese
how will I learn English?
Grandma,
I don't want to rely
on others forever.
I want to learn to write
and find a job in Hong Kong.
I want to be independent.
Your father would worry about
you going to work.
I have to do the dishes
I'll leave you to watch this alone
Can I help you?
Have you seen my report card?
No.
Do your live around here?
Mun, who's that?
It's a little boy, Grandma.
Did a report card ever turn up
on our balcony?
That kid is teasing you.
Just ignore him.
Kid, what are you eating?
I'm very hungry.
What's your problem?
Everyone we have two pieces
of good news today.
First...
Ms Tone Deaf had a successful
operation!
And second, for our Christmas
charity concert...
We'll be performing with Vanessa Mae!
Mr. Cheng why haven't I received
the practice schedule?
Mun, you know, after all...
we're an organization for the blind.
You're always welcome to come
to practice...
but perhaps you should do something
else for the performance,
such as coordination,
or taking care of our members.
I can even arrange for you
to help out at the centre.
Mr. Cheng,
I really want to take part
in this performance.
I've practiced so long
for this concert!
I understand, but...
Excuse me, Mr. Cheng...
Vanessa Mae's agent
wants us to fax over her schedule.
I'll be with you right away.
Mun, Mun?
Let's discuss this again.
I have to go.
Grandma!
Are you leaving?
Yes, to class.
Come back early for dinner.
I've prepared some special
turnip soup.
Bye!
Have you seen my report card?
Didn't you find it yet?
I really haven't seen it.
Perhaps you should ask someone else.
Ying Ying!
Excuse me, I'd like to talk to her.
Look what I've brought for you?
Sis, I've just had chemo-therapy,
I'll throw up if I eat.
It's OK.
Then we'll save it for when
you get better.
If only we had believed
him just that once
or given him a chance to explain,
he might still be here playing
video games.
Who would have expected
him to jump offjust like that?
Suicide is a dreadful sin.
The souls of those who commit
suicide...
are obliged to repeat their
painful deaths everyday.
To help him break out of this
vicious cycle of pain
we need to tackle the cause
of his suicide.
Only then can his soul leave
this world in peace.
Have you ever considered
he might be telling the truth?
Perhaps he really did lose
his report card.
Have you been teaching
calligraphy long?
Yes, many years indeed.
I'll teach you how to hold
the brush...
Use your big thumb and
middle finger
and form a circle just like this...
Like this, try.
Very few want to learn
calligraphy nowadays.
I used to teach 3 lessons a week.
Now, it's down to only one.
I'll let you try writing by yourself.
Try it yourself.
Why are you sitting in my chair?
Why are you sitting in my chair?!
What is this?
What is going on?
What are you looking for?
Are you okay?
What happened?
Are you feeling unwell?
Is Dr. Lo here?
Ms. Wong, you are early.
Your next appointment isn't
until Friday.
He won't be back from his meeting
until 5 p.m.
Will he definitely be here
at 5 p.m.?
If it's urgent,
I can page him for you now.
I'll be back at 5.
You can see them, too?
They don't usually want to be seen.
But you'll get used to it.
All the stores nearby have
been bought up,
only my boss refuses to sell.
He seems to be expecting his wife
and child to visit.
Actually, he can't see them at all.
There was a car accident
over there...
Mun!
My secretary said you were
asking for me.
What's the matter?
Will you help me?
Of course I will.
Your eyes hurt?
Will you believe me?
Yes...
What is it?
The shadows... they come
to bring the dead.
What shadow?
When I was at the hospital...
I saw a man.
He... he took an old lady with him.
The next morning, the old lady
was dead...
My room keeps changing
suddenly into a different room...
I even saw a person missing
her lower body...
When he rushed over, it was like
an electric shock.
My whole body went numb...
Calm down
And tell me slowly.
When I was little...
Granny told me...
I was not an ordinary child.
God had given me some obstacles...
so that I would grow up
to be an extraordinary person.
Now I understand
what it means to be extraordinary.
An extraordinary person
can see things others can't...
and feel pain that others won't feel.
Maybe, I was never meant
to see this world.
I don't want to terrified
in bed every night...
I don't want to terrified
in bed every night...
then awaken horrors every morning.
I just want to be an ordinary person.
Dr. Lo, can you help me?
Yes, of course I will.
One of my psychology professors...
from the States...
has just come to Hong Kong to visit.
Let's meet him tomorrow.
He might be able to help.
How can you help me when
you don't believe me?
What's going on?
Excuse me, I have to go.
Call me if you need anything.
Goodbye.
Who's that?
A friend.
He asked your sister to take
something to States.
Yes, that's right.
You are home early.
Aren't you supposed to be
back next week?
Well...
a co-worker switched her
shift with mine.
So I come back a bit earlier
It's smoky here
Why don't you go up?
14TH FLOOR, UNIT-C.
Have you seen my report card?
Stop asking me?! I've already
told you I haven't seen it!
Have you seen my report card?
15TH FLOOR, UNIT-C.
Uncle, listen to me...
No way!
Only you can help us with this!
I've already said no!
If you still respect
me as your uncle,
and respect yourself as my nephew,
you should have never approached
me with this!
First of all
You should know only too well...
what medical ethics are regarding
organ transplant.
And you should also know that...
the identity of the cornea donor
is concealed from me.
What shadow?
One cornea transplant and she starts
seeing ghosts?
You actually believe that?
What if I do?
Then we have even less to talk about!
Uncle...
Don't tell me you fell for your
own patient.
Hello?
Dr. Lo, is that you?
Mun is in trouble!
Can you come over immediately?
Yes, right away.
Yes, I admit.
She's more than a patient to me.
Mun!
How long do you plan on hiding
in this little room?
Five years? Seven? Or ten?
You have to confront your problem
sooner or later.
You want to play violin?
Go play with the troupe!
I can accept you pretending
to be blind.
But even then
then you didn't isolate
yourself here.
I just want to help.
Mun!
Sis.
Ying Ying, what are you doing here?
I can leave the hospital now.
You can?
Yes, I don't need any
more operations.
I can go to school now.
So...
Then once I am out of here,
we can go out...
we can take pictures, we can even...
I'm so happy that you can see now,
because this world is really
beautiful.
Ying Ying...
It's alright! Cheer up.
Be strong and things will work
out for the best.
I have to go now.
Ying Ying!
Wong Kar Mun, I want to tell you...
Ying Ying has already...
I know... I just saw her.
I know she's dead.
What are you looking at?
Ying Ying.
Can you see her?
It wasn't her.
Don't know why she didn't
show up today.
Are you not afraid anymore?
I don't think I have a choice.
I see all these things anyway.
At least, I get to see the people
I care about.
What's this?
Ying Ying made this for you.
What's written on it?
Don't forget me.
She put in the wrong photo though.
Who's this?
It's you!
Don't you recognize yourself yet?
What is going on?
Who are you?
Who the hell are you?!
We believe that the very last
consciousness of a mortal
carries over to the afterlife.
That is the very thought of a person
in his final moment...
would become the eternal
consciousness of his soul.
Those who die a sudden death
have no recollection
of the instance of death.
Their souls remain in this world
as if they're still alive.
But there are others
who intentionally refuse to leave
mostly due to unresolved
problems during their lifetime.
These souls can't be consoled
while their problems remain.
There is only one way to help them,
and that is to resolve what
they left unsettled.
The woman Ms Wong keeps seeing
after resuming her sight.
We have to resolve her problems
so that she can move on.
I hope I haven't done
anything wrong.
Even if it's wrong,
it'd be my fault.
And I won't regret it.
Were you reincarnated into
the wrong body?
Why are you so different from...
...the rest of the family?
Be careful.
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Dr. Lo believed you in the end?
Let's just say Dr. Lo
is not involved.
He's a professional after all -
you know what I mean?
Yes.
Are we close?
I'm not sure.
It says here that her
Chinese name was Chiu Wai Ling.
A Thai born Chinese.
Here are her hospital records.
This is Siam-Rach Hospital.
Sl-AM-LA?
This is probably the place.
Let's get off to take a look.
Hi.
This is Siam-Rach Hospital?
Yes. Right
I want to meet a doctor,
his name is Eak.
Please come help.
Can I help you?
I want to meet a doctor
his name is Eak.
You know him?
No
It's there a Doctor name Eak here?
It mentioned here.
It's this hospital, his name is Eak.
He's not here now.
Not here?
Wah!
Wah!
What is it?
This is the place.
What place?
The place I've been having
nightmares about.
Nightmares?
This has to be it!
Doctor Eak!
What's the matter?
You have two visitors.
Mister, this is Dr Eak.
You're Dr. Eak.
Yes.
My name is Wah.
Hello Nice to meet you.
It's her.
After the Cornea operation.
We come over here
to thank the donator's family.
Hope you can give us some detail.
Here is the file.
Are you two from Hong Kong?
You speak Mandarin?
Can you help us?
Sorry.
Sorry, I can't disclose
our hospital records.
This is our hospital policy.
Please understand.
Wait!
We need to see the donor's
family urgently.
Could you perhaps ask them
if they are willing to meet us?
Her family will not be willing
to meet with you.
Who are you to Ling?
Please leave.
Wait!
After I got Ling's corneas,
I started to see things
that she saw!
Ling was a sad and Ionely girl.
All of the villagers stayed
away from her.
Why?
From time to time,
she would weep outside
someone's door.
Afterwards,
a person in that house
would pass away.
So everyone took her
to be a witch...
and always chased her away
when they saw her.
The children treated
her like a monster.
Even I threw stones at her
when I was a kid...
Because none of you could believe
that she foresaw death?
Maybe it was because of fear.
So, do you believe it now?
This is it.
Mrs. Chui, these two friends
are from Hong Kong.
Nobody welcomed Ling.
So she hardly ever set foot
in the village
Yet, on the night of the fire,
many saw her running around
shouting hysterically...
as if talking to herself.
Since everyone detested Ling,
no one paid any attention to her
Some villagers threw water on her
to drive her away.
Around midnight,
a big fire erupted...
and kept burning till noon
the next day.
Among the deceased
300 were burnt beyond recognition.
How exactly did Ling die?
She hanged herself.
Ling killed herself the day
after the big fire.
Is Mrs. Chui all right?
She's fine.
So you too believed that
she wasn't insane,
but that she only saw things
no one else could.
She foresaw a big disaster
and tried to warn everyone,
but no one listened to her.
I don't understand any of this
spiritual stuff.
I just want you two to know that
Ling was a very kind person...
and she had a tough life.
Can I take a look at Ling's room?
Tonight...
...I want to stay here.
I'll take you to Ling's grave
tomorrow morning.
You've been very kind to us,
thank you.
You should go to bed now.
Alright, I'll stay next door.
Shout if anything happens.
I know you've wanted me
to come here all this time.
Well, here I am now.
What do you want to tell me?
... ill-fated... ill-fated...
Hurry... take her to the hospital!
Get lost...
You should be ashamed of yourself...
You are a curse!
Told you not to come here!
She's evil! Don't ever play with her!
Go save him! Save my boy...
Help him... Make him breathe...
What have you done to my boy...
You little bitch! Go to hell...
She's evil!
Stay away from my house! Get lost!
Be reasonable!
My daughter is only trying to help...
Go away!
Mrs. Chui, I know how to help Ling
let's go upstairs to see her.
Her most painful time was not
in the past,
it's right now!
Since she killed herself,
she's been trapped in a time warp...
constantly repeating her suicide.
She was dead.
How can someone who's dead
die again?
Listen to me,
very soon she'll appear upstairs.
Let's go up to see her!
I won't see her!
I spent my whole life protecting her,
I never once gave up on her,
but she gave up on herself!
For that I can never forgive her!
Just listen,
I'm sure you hear this sound
every night.
Ling died at 3'o clock,
didn't she?
Mrs. Chui, come with me and
you'll understand!
I'm not going upstairs!
Mom...
Help me...
Help me...
Ling?
Help me...
Help me!
Help me... help me...
Is it Ling?
Is it really Ling?
Mom...
Help me...
Ling, you were the one who left me...
you were the one who left me...
Mom...
Help me...
Mom...
Ling, Mommy is coming!
Ling! Ling!
My girl, mommy's right here.
Don't be afraid.
No one can bully you anymore.
Mom, I'm so sorry.
I was wrong.
Please forgive me!
I've already forgiven you.
Mun!
What happened?
Are you alright?
Go that way! Move over...
Hurry! Pull him out!
Careful! Come on keep pulling...
Over there! Move!
Get out!
Get out!
Something's happening,
get out, quick!
Granny, leave your house now!
Leave your house now!
Brother, run for your life!
Get out! Quick! Run!
Get out! Run...
Run! Run for your life!
Run! Run for your life!
Runl A disaster is coming!
Run! Run now!
What's she saying?
Run! Get out!
Mun!
Go, go, go... Move over...
Go, go, go... Move over...
...Listen to me...
Ever since that day,
Ling never appears again.
I hold no resentment towards her...
Since I saw and experienced
the same pain that she did.
But aside from pain
I saw beauty
I no longer question
why am I blind
It is becasue
I've already seen the most beautiful
things in this world.
Things I'll never forget.