HBO Asia Original and Astro Shaw production The Garden of Evening Mists will premiere on HBO and HBO on Sunday, 13 September at 10 pm. The film adaption of the critically-acclaimed novel of the same name by Malaysian Tan Twan Eng is presented by Astro Shaw and HBO Asia with support from the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) in association with CJ Entertainment.
This Golden Horse Award-winning global production is helmed by award-winning Taiwanese director Tom Lin and adapted by Scottish BAFTA-winning screenwriter Richard Smith. It boasts a star-studded international cast including Malaysian actress Sinje Lee (The Eye), Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe (After the Storm), Taiwanese actress Sylvia Chang (Love Education), British actors David Oakes (Cold Skin) and Julian Sands (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and Scottish actor John Hannah (The Mummy).
The film, which screened at the 24th Busan International Film Festival, the 43rd Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, and the 56th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival in 2019, tells the story of Teoh Yun Ling (played by Sinje Lee) who, embittered from atrocities of World War II in Malaya, seeks solace in the rolling hills of Cameron Highlands. There, she discovers Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaya, and its mysterious owner Nakamura Aritomo (played by Hiroshi Abe). He reluctantly accepts her as an apprentice so that she can build a garden in homage to her beloved sister who perished in a labour camp. As Yugiri reveals secrets of its own, Yun Ling and Aritomo embark on a forbidden love affair.
Filmed in Malaysia, the two-hour film is in English, Mandarin, Japanese, and Bahasa Malaysia. Stream or download The Garden of Evening Mists on HBO GO or watch it on HBO on Sunday, 13 September at 10 pm. Access HBO GO via Cignal or at https://www.hbogoasia.com/. Download the app from App Store or Play Store on your device and enjoy a 7-day free trial. HBO GO can now be accessed via Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV, and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
