San tiao ren / Away with words (1999, Dir Christopher Doyle)

Since his childhood in Okinawa, Asano has had a mnemonic memory. For him, words have tactile forms and tastes that make them constantly present in his mind; as a result, he can't forget a word once he's heard it. Now he is in "gridlock," his memories blocking the flow of life. Asano finds himself in Hong Kong's Dive Bar, drawn by the colour of the gay club's couches, a shade of blue which reminds him of the sea. Kevin, the bar's flamboyant owner, is a lush, unable to recall most of his booze-soaked, wild life. He is arrested every night because he cannot remember how to pronounce the name of his street in Cantonese. Asking instead to be taken to the police station, he is promptly arrested for public mischief. The film chronicles Kevin and Asano's meeting, in which words are a burden.