Author: Raktim Nandi
The manner in which mainstream Bengali cinema sidesteps serious horror, almost as though it were a contagious disease, is a phenomenon deserving scrutiny. Bengali culture, from its expansive literary canon and oral storytelling to its everyday chatter in the 21st century, has never lacked horror elements. It overflows with supernatural entities, some benevolent and absent-minded,
Shih Chun is Ho Yun-Qing, an intelligent student who fails his imperial examination and, after failing to find a respectable job well, decides to become a manuscript copyist. His minimal income compels him to do things he wouldn’t normally do, such as taking up the job to copy a Buddhist Sutra with themes and ideas
Ivy, played by Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia, is a Taiwanese student living in San Francisco. She shares a dormitory with other students of her diaspora. The pupils consume most of their American life in gossip, anecdotes, and leisure. For Ivy, who appears to be a relatively serious character, chattering is secondary to spending time with pals