A Side, B Side, Seaside, the directorial debut of local filmmaker Ah Chiu, tells two stories of innocence lost on Cheung Chau.
It first starts out with a group of schoolgirls conning passersby into giving them pocket money. Then they are then seen screaming and yelling while on the deck of a ferry headed for Cheung Chau, where they will spend their last days of youth at a graduation camp.
Once the girls set foot on the island, the film unfolds in the style of a documentary, vividly capturing the girls as they cycle, swim, barbecue, play basketball, nurse a wild cat, and, above all, make sense of their imminent adulthood.
Thanks to the natural and convincing acting by the young actresses, Chiu is able to touchingly illustrate what it's like to be young.
The second part of the film follows a young woman called Ah Mei who travels to Cheung Chau for a wedding party and reunites with two childhood friends. It turns into a love triangle that reeks of melancholy as the trio lament their lost innocence and carefree days.
As an independent production, the movie has its flaws. But it's a sweet and charming film that captures the spirit of youth.