Echoes of the Rainbow

In late 1960s Hong Kong, the Law family runs a small shoe shop on Wing Lee Street. Desmond is the elder son, a stellar student, a gifted musician, and a celebrated runner at Diocesan Boys' School. He is supported by his parents as he looks toward a promising future.

Flora's affluent family leaves for the United States, taking her away from Hong Kong. Desmond's world begins to shift as the routine of school and romance cracks under growing pressures. His once spotless academic performance starts to decline.

Outside the family shop, a cocky British policeman extorts money from Desmond's father for 'protection,' exposing the harsher side of colonial Hong Kong. He belittles Desmond, claiming his English isn't good enough to succeed. The encounter leaves a sharp impression of social inequality on the young man.

As pressure mounts, Desmond's grades slip and his school life loses its former glow. The gap between his potential and the realities of Hong Kong becomes increasingly painful. The family clings to routines that begin to fray under strain.

Flora's return from abroad briefly reconnects Desmond to a sense of normalcy, but the renewed contact seems to intensify the pressure he feels. The family senses that bigger changes are ahead. The couple's future remains uncertain.

Desmond collapses and is diagnosed with leukemia, sending the family into a desperate search for care. His illness shatters the fragile balance at home and school, forcing everyone to confront the fragility of life. The hospital becomes the arena where hope and fear contend.

In the hospital, nurses opportunistically extract money for basic care, highlighting the vulnerabilities of families like theirs. Desmond endures harsh treatments as his condition worsens. The ordeal exposes inequities in care that echo broader social inequalities.

Chun-yi, Desmond's younger brother, loves his sibling and tries to lift his spirits by offering small gifts and moments of companionship. Desmond does not always accept the offerings, but the bond between brothers remains strong. The hospital room becomes a space of family love amid despair.

Flora visits Desmond in the hospital and they share a first kiss, a fleeting moment of happiness before the illness overwhelms him. The kiss offers brief respite from the surrounding sorrow. It lingers in memory as a poignant, bittersweet note.

Desmond ultimately passes away, leaving a void in the family and in Chun-yi's life that will shape the younger brother's future. The loss marks a turning point for everyone, contrasting memory with absence. The hospital silence gives way to quiet mourning that echoes through the home.

Years pass and Chun-yi, now a teenager, narrates the story, reflecting that time is the greatest thief. He carries forward the memory of his brother and the lessons whispered in youth. The narrative shift emphasizes how love and loss persist beyond the years.

In the final scenes, Chun-yi and his mother visit Desmond's grave, the memory of a lesson about double rainbows giving his childhood innocence a lasting, bittersweet resonance. Time’s passage underscores the enduring beauty and fragility of memory. The film closes on that quiet, hopeful note.