{"product_id":"illegal-immigrant-the-1985","title":"ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, THE (1985)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMabel Cheung’s debut unfolds as the quintessential American story: that of the “illegal” immigrant, doing anything they must to survive in the so-called land of the free. After a raid on a Canal Street garment factory leaves Cheung (Ching Yong-Cho) targeted by immigration agents, the mainland refugee resorts to a sham marriage with a reluctant acquaintance named Cindy to access a green card. An NYU graduation project miraculously funded by Shaw Brothers Studio, Mabel Cheung’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Illegal Immigrant\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was entirely shot on location in New York’s Chinatown, in authentic gambling parlours and video stores, amidst real-life gangsters and undocumented immigrants cast as non-professional actors. From this results a remarkable encapsulation of a time and place that no longer exists; a comic tragedy that establishes, with unusual freedom, the foundations of what would become Mabel Cheung “immigration trilogy” a short few years later with the successes of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn Autumn’s Tale\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEight Taels of Gold\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003eAdditional info:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003eRegion A Blu-ray\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003eInterview with director Mabel Cheung (19mins, 2026)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003e“Bringing Cindy and Chau to Life” (7mins, 2026)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003eSelected Scenes Commentary with director Mabel Cheung (18min, 2026)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003eBooklet with new writing by Chiarina Chen\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends.\\n\\n\\nShot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, Beijing Watermelon finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history.\\n\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":4993,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"10\":2,\"11\":4,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Arial\"}'\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value='{\"1\":2,\"2\":\"2K restoration \\nInterview with Chigumi Obayashi \\nTheatrical Trailer \u0026amp; Teaser\\nOptional English subtitles\\nBooklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow\\nNew art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010)\\nLogo design by Leo Mak\"}' data-sheets-userformat='{\"2\":12973,\"3\":{\"1\":0},\"5\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"6\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"8\":{\"1\":[{\"1\":2,\"2\":0,\"5\":{\"1\":2,\"2\":0}},{\"1\":0,\"2\":0,\"3\":3},{\"1\":1,\"2\":0,\"4\":1}]},\"10\":0,\"12\":0,\"15\":\"Calibri\",\"16\":11}'\u003eEnglish, English SDH subtitles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"KANI","offers":[{"title":"BLU-RAY","offer_id":48720327049435,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0660\/6379\/4395\/files\/409896_slip.jpg?v=1777404890","url":"https:\/\/baystvideo.com\/products\/illegal-immigrant-the-1985","provider":"Bay Street Video","version":"1.0","type":"link"}