The Empty Hands

Quiet and reserved with particular charm, The Empty Hands is less about martial arts than it is about a woman struggling to accept herself. Mari Hirakawa (Stephy Tang) lives an idle life. When her father (Yasuaki Kurata) passes away, Mari delightfully plans to cash in on his karate dojo and renovate it into an apartment. However, complications arise when Mari learns that part of the dojo has been given to her father's former student, Chan Kent (Chapman To). Chan offers to release the dojo to Marie if she can prove her mettle in a fighting ring. Embittered, Mari rekindles her fighting spirit but soon learns that there is more to life than just selfish desires. Filled with bright, vibrant colors, this film is a nice balance between quirky characters and unique camerawork that moves steadily back - and - forth within scenes without sudden cuts. (Seattle International Film Festival)