Hong Kong Film 'Dead End' Selected for Busan International Film Festival Competition
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong film "Dead End" (被殺的那天) has been selected for the 31st Busan International Film Festival's Vision-Asia competition unit, marking a significant milestone for its cast and crew. Directed by newcomer Lam Lok-him and produced by Cheng Po-chun of "The Warlords of Kowloon" fame, the film explores themes of trauma, suppressed memories, and family secrets spanning generations. The movie will have its world premiere during the festival from October 6 to 15.
Key Points
- "Dead End" is among 23 films selected for the Vision-Asia competition at the 31st Busan International Film Festival, joining entries from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Iran, and Kazakhstan .
- The film follows 30-year-old programmer Zheng Kaiwen (played by Lokman Yang), whose life is disrupted when a teenager claiming to be his half-brother appears, insisting on investigating the truth behind his father's death over a decade ago .
- Lokman Yang described the role as his first competition entry at a film festival, noting the character grapples with deep internal struggles influenced by past trauma .
- Veteran actress Maggie Cheung (Cheng Mei-kai) plays the mother character Ho Mei-kwan, initially finding the role complex and challenging before gaining confidence through collaboration with the director and producer .
- Director Lam Lok-him graduated from the Hong Kong City University School of Creative Media and previously won awards for her short film "Sleepless Night Walk" at the Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival .
Why It Matters
This selection represents a breakthrough for Hong Kong's new generation of filmmakers, as "Dead End" becomes the first winning project from the Seventh First Film Project (University Division) to compete at a major international festival . The film's exploration of intergenerational trauma and hidden family secrets resonates with broader conversations about confronting difficult truths, themes that transcend cultural boundaries and could appeal to international audiences at Busan .
This selection represents a breakthrough for Hong Kong's new generation of filmmakers, as "Dead End" becomes the first winning project from the Seventh First Film Project (University Division) to compete at a major international festival . The film's exploration of intergenerational trauma and hidden family secrets resonates with broader conversations about confronting difficult truths, themes that transcend cultural boundaries and could appeal to international audiences at Busan .