Best known for her numerous collaborations with French New Wave auteur Eric Rohmer, veteran Hong Kong-born editor and filmmaker Mary Stephen turns the camera on herself in Palimpsest: The Story of a Name, an absorbing and endlessly surprising documentary exploring her obscure heritage.

For as long as she can remember, Stephen has encountered confusion, curiosity and discrimination because of her Western surname. Determined to uncover its origins once and for all, the 73-year-old, who has spent much of her adult life in Paris, delves deep into her own past.

Aided by extensive home-movie footage and intricately detailed journals compiled by her father, Henry Stephen, the filmmaker mounts an enthralling investigation that spans the globe, from Australia to Montreal and back to the place of her birth, Hong Kong.

Read my full South China Morning Post review here