Whispers in the Belly

Whispers in the Belly

2025 · 20 min · Drama, Family

Family pains and abdominal cramps—anyone can allow their body to endure the turbulent intrusion alone. After living in Norway for years, Ling brings her foreign boyfriend home to Hong Kong. The family reunion is seemingly harmonious yet unspoken rifts and resentment will be revealed through family therapy. Will it end in reconciliation or a split-up? Bobby YU Shuk-pui, winner of Best Director at the 17th Fresh Wave, brings her family’s story to the silver screen. With real-life family members appearing on screen, the film examines intergenerational conflict through the lens of the young. With scenes of conversational therapy shot like direct cinema and shifting between fiction and reality through switching aspect ratios, the film faithfully and naturally presents the emotional vortex among family members.

Directed by Bobby Yu Shuk-Pui · Written by Bobby Yu Shuk-Pui

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

2h 6m together

Whispers in the Belly

Explosions in the Heart

Both from Bobby Yu Shuk-Pui.

More from Bobby Yu Shuk-PuiSee all →

My World

My World · 2018

MovieComedyFantasy

Revolt is youth. The story centres around a teacher’s pet who strives his best only to become the eternal runner-up, and a pair of intelligent but diametrically different step-siblings. Set in 2012 during the transition to the new academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education, the young students reconsider and challenge the limits of sense and sensibility through seven exam questions. In their wet dreams, all rules go loose.

Drifting

Drifting · 2021

Just out of jail, Fai finds a spot on a street corner where other homeless people welcome him. But he doesn’t get much time to settle in. The police soon chase them away, and their possessions disappear into a garbage truck. Young social worker Ms. Ho thinks it’s time to fight this in court. In the meantime, Fai and his friends have other concerns.

Explosions in the Heart

Explosions in the Heart · 2024

Explosions in the Heart

Billy falls madly in love with Nilo, but discovers that her great love is polyamorous.

Room 12

Room 12 · 2014

Room 12 is a place where people leave their final wills. A boy arrives at Room 12 and meets the owner of the place. They have a strange encounter and each of them understand more about what the other is thinking about.

The Autonomous Era

The Autonomous Era · 2015

The Autonomous Era

In the spirit of autonomy, how can the voice of common people be heard and who gets to decide? Lok and his like-minded friends actively participated in the 2010 anti-rail movement through an online radio platform. Passionate about social causes, they eventually parted ways due to ideological differences on spreading their ideas and uniting the public. Fast forward to four years later, a more composed and experienced Lok remained as an organiser of various social movements, notably the Umbrella Movement. Bumping into a past comrade who is now a mere passerby, Lok reminisced about their shared pasts and less-than-amicable split. The cerebral short is also a moving coming-of-age story of Lok, now with evolved ideas, new identity and well-rounded perspectives.

Pseudo Secular

Pseudo Secular · 2016

MovieDramaDocumentary

They are frozen in place, stagnating without any direction. Around them, things change rapidly.

The Dropout Of Her

The Dropout Of Her · 2019

The Dropout Of Her

Kwan believes that she is unique. Enclosed in solitude within her own literary world and deprived of affections from her family, she longs for love in whatever form it takes - no matter how distorted. She considers the detention class with Mr Cheung a shelter from the world, until it is shattered together with all her hopes. She finally comes to the realisation that it is the world that goes against her. There is no hiding place for her no matter how hard she struggles……

Endless Chain of Lies

Endless Chain of Lies · 2019

Endless Chain of Lies

MovieRomanceDrama

Hong Kong. Night. A young woman enters the 24-hour self-service laundry and slams her bag of clothes on the floor. Only one other customer is inside – a young man busily texting his client. They both silently go about their chores, but before the night is over, this chance encounter in the repressed city will have saved both of their souls.

Lykke Til

Lykke Til · 2023

Set in Norway, Lykke Til is a story about struggling in a foreign land. Ann, who has moved to Norway, is facing obstacles on multiple fronts: visa, employment, cultural differences, racism and an unexpected pregnancy, which puts her relationship with her girlfriend in jeopardy, another secret hovering over the already strained relationship with her mother. Instead of trying to simply stay afloat, the worst person in the world now has to make a decision and reclaim her life. The director who also writes the script and plays the main role expresses through the short her own experience as a Chinese diaspora and creative talent living in Europe.

The Stranger

The Stranger · 2014

Relationships with strangers can exist in all forms, including the most intimate ones. The two of them spy on each other in an open manner, slowly, their relationship deepens, while remaining strangers.

Dark Room

Dark Room · 2019

Fei roams the city at night, attempting to capture it with her camera. One night she meets a mysterious cow in the busy city and photographs it. Soon she meets Ming, who is trying to record the cow's noise. Together they attempt to find the elusive cow.

More Like This

Couldn't load this row right now.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter