Even as we advance in technology and are able to capture image in a crisp 4k imitation of reality, directors across the world are still drooling at the imperfect, gritty charm of shooting on film. Digital is too real, too honest, and too faultless. Two Suns is a short directed (and starred in) by Yuqing Lai which was shot on Kodak film, following the success of blockbusters Oppenheimer (2023) and Poor Things (2023) that utilised the same method. The mystical analogue style is like a character of itself in Two Suns; the mood of the protagonists Frank (Colin Ren Hang) and Sinan (Yuqing Lai) hangs over everything like a thick, grimy layer, and the film feels more like a vibe sampler with minimal dialogue. The limitations of film mean there’s a heinous amount of noise in darker scenes, leading one to wonder: how much grain is too much grain?
Most of Two Suns is an amalgam of intrusive shots that leaves little to be perceived about the characters’ surroundings, occasionally interrupted by a single vivid red bokeh light. This light is like a dying red giant that represents Frank and Sinan; they are the two suns, and their relationship is at its ending stage – it could be a coincidence that their names bear resemblance to Frank Sinatra, but it’s interesting to note his number of songs about love that use the sun as a metaphor.
Often sex scenes in film are unnecessary to the plot, and serve as nothing more than a cheap device to re-engage the monkey brains of disinterested viewers. There’s a scene in Two Suns that escapes this curse; two lovers kissing tenderly shows passion amongst their obstacles, and it is not overly explicit or soulless. The scene is as steady and true as the character’s long-lasting love, and gives it purpose in existing. Colin Ren Hang and Yuqing Lai are the reason it works; the actors put on a stellar performance of the material they’re working with.
The score, on the other hand, is just a sequence of moody synthy hums. It adds an eerie ambience, and not much else, instead relying on the characters’ one and only conflict, drenched in a grainy embellishment, to carry the entire film. It’s beautiful, but lacks a bit of substance beyond: ‘This is a problem an LGBTQIA+ couple experiences. That’s it.’ Opening up conversations about the identity struggles trans people face or the impact it has on long-term relationships predating their transition has potential to do wonders for the community. But the film might’ve benefited from using a bit more of those 14 minutes for some backstory or establishing of the relationship we’re thrown in at the end of. There’s less room for empathy for characters we know nothing about the personalities of.
Two Suns can be forgiven for this however. Where feature-length productions have the space for both the battle scenes and mundane sequences of character development, short films must either saturate each moment in storytelling, or take the risk of stretching things out. Yuqing Lai went for the latter, and for those in the community who just want something to resonate with, it’ll be a mellow, comforting watch on a quiet evening of salty cheeks.
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Written by Maddie Armstrong
38th BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL 2024 Takes Place 13 – 24 March at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player
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