Papa (Chinese: 爸爸) is a 2024 Hong Kong family drama film directed and written by Philip Yung. The film is based on the real-life 2010 Heung Wo Street murder, in which a mentally unstable son killed his mother and sister, leaving his father as the sole survivor. Starring Sean Lau, Jo Koo, Dylan So, and Lainey Hung, the film is set in the aftermath of the murder and follows the father (Lau) as he navigates survivor guilt and seeks reconciliation with his son (So).
Philip Yung was initially attached to the film adaptation of the murder case as the screenwriter in 2011 and interviewed the surviving father Kan Fuk-kui while researching the screenplay, before the project was stalled in development. He later purchased the adaptation rights and took on the role of director, with pre-production beginning after Yung finished filming Port of Call (2015). Yung continued to refine the screenplay until 2022 and the project was greenlit in the same year. Principal photography commenced in March 2023, primarily in To Kwa Wan, and shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio.
The film had its world premiere in competition at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival on 31 October 2024, followed by a theatrical release in Hong Kong on 5 December.
Synopsis
The film adapts a nonlinear narrative:[1][2] Nin returns to his restaurant in a morning, only to find his colleagues and neighbours looking at him strangely, revealing that his son Ming has murdered his wife Yin and daughter Grace, and turned himself in to the police the night before.
Sometime later, Nin sells his restaurant to one of his waiters, no longer wanting to see the place that brings back painful memories. He attends his son's trial, where Ming confesses and reveals that he committed the murders because he heard a voice telling him he has a mission to eliminate a portion of the population and save the world. One night, Nin has dinner with his mother and his sister's family. He lies to his mother, saying that his wife and children are busy, but she reveals that she has known what happened all along. Nin recalls meeting Yin in 1993, when both families object to their engagement. Despite this, Nin insists on marrying Yin, and they soon welcome their first son.
In modern times, Nin visits Ming in prison and asks him to apply for a pardon and increase the number of visits he can have, but Ming refuses with various excuses. Lonely at home with their family cat, Carnation, Nin tries to order a door-to-door massage service, but the massage therapist deceives him, leaving after collecting payment without providing the service, which frustrates Nin and leads to an emotional breakdown. During a family counseling session, Nin and Ming talk under the guidance of a psychiatrist. Nin demands an explanation from Ming for why he killed their loved ones, while Ming finally reveals his true thoughts, admitting he never listened to what his family wanted to say.
Before the murders, Yin asks Nin to stop running their restaurant 24/7, but he refuses. One day, Grace brings home a stray cat, naming it Carnation, and insists on keeping it despite Ming's objections about limiting the animal's freedom. However, Grace soon loses interest in Carnation, and their busy parents leave Ming to take care of it. Carnation goes missing once, and Ming, worried, carefully rescues it after finding it on the edge of the corridor window. During summer, Ming works at Nin's restaurant, and a conflict arises when Ming refuses to use the packing method his father's staff taught him, resulting in a mess. Later, Ming asks Nin to buy him a new phone with photography functions, but Nin refuses, claiming multifunctional phones are prone to malfunction. Instead, he buys a camera, which Ming insists he doesn't want. Using his summer job salary, Ming buys the phone himself. During a family trip to Hainan, his mother discovers it and gives him a cash gift while Nin is asleep, as she does not object to Ming's purchase but avoids to go against Nin, leaving Ming puzzled as to why she won't just discuss it with their father.
In 2013, Ming has been locked in the psychiatric hospital for four years, but his request for early release is denied, even though Nin expresses his willingness to care for Ming full-time now that he is retired and wishes to reunite with his son. Realizing he may not be released anytime soon, Ming writes a letter to Nin, apologizing for his actions and asking his father to visit him on his 18th birthday, which Nin does but refuses to discuss the murders during their reunion. Years later, when Ming is finally released, he is already an adult. He returns to his old home and has lunch with his father, with the film ending as Ming looks at their family photo.
Cast
Sean Lau as Nin Yuen, a 24-hour cha chaan teng owner whose wife and daughter were murdered by his son[3]
Jo Koo as Yin, Nin's Hakka wife and Ming and Grace's mother[3]
Dylan So as Ming, Nin's son who suffers from schizophrenia[4]
Lainey Hung as Grace, Nin's daughter and Ming's younger sister[3]
Also appearing in the film are Yeung Wai Lun as Salty, a waiter at Nin's restaurant who took over the business;[5]Helen Tam as Dr. Lee, Ming's psychiatrist;[5]Law Wing-cheung as Keung, Nin's brother-in-law;[5]Chan Lai-wun [zh] as Nin's mother;[5]Mak Pui Tung as Mr. Lee, Ming's liberal studies teacher;[6] and Tung Fong Shing as Junior, a fellow restaurant owner acquainted with Nin.[7] Cameo appearances include Tai Bo [zh] as Uncle Kim, a fellow inmate who shares a prison with Ming;[8]Edan Lui as the adult version of Ming;[9] and John Shum as a judge and the chairman of the prison sentences review board.[10]
Production
Background
The story of Papa is based on the 2010 Heung Wo Street Murder [zh].[11][12] In July 2010, a 15-year-old teenager Kan Ka-leung murdered his mother, Lam Lin-kam, and his younger sister, Kan Chung-yue, at home before turning himself in to the police after wandering the streets for a while.[13][14] The family, which included the father, Kan Fuk-kui, lived together on Heung Wo Street in Tsuen Wan.[13] Kan Fuk-kui used to work as a chicken butcher before opening a cha chaan teng called Fan Fan Ho Restaurant in 2004 directly opposite their apartment.[13][15] After having a family dinner at their restaurant on the night of the murder, the mother and children returned home while Kan Fuk-kui stayed behind to run the restaurant, thus escaping the murder.[13] Kan Ka-leung was tried and convicted for manslaughter in 2012,[16] with his psychological assessment diagnosed him with schizophrenia and revealed that he suffered from auditory hallucinations during the murder, hearing voices that told him the world was overpopulated, wasting resources and harming the environment, and that he had a mission to eliminate part of the population.[13][17] Before the film's release, Kan Ka-leung's mental condition had improved after years of therapy and he was released from detainment at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre [zh], continuing his treatment at Castle Peak Hospital.[15][17] Kan Fuk-kui had also sold the restaurant in August 2012 and moved out of the apartment where the murder occurred.[13][15]
Development
"The starting point of this script isn’t about the murder. When I began writing it, I couldn’t stop, especially when it comes to writing the perspective of the father: how can this middle-aged man carry on when he has to face a hurdle like this? Of course, there are also parts about the son, the mother and other characters, but the most fascinating subject is the father. How one finds a way out or responds to a situation in dark times has always been one of my favourite topics to work on."
—Philip Yung, the director and writer, on the inspiration behind the screenplay for Papa[11]
In 2011, a year after the Heung Wo Street Murder, director-screenwriter Philip Yung was invited to join a film project as the screenwriter to adapt the murder case, after the investor was impressed by his screenplay draft which later evolved into Port of Call (2015).[18] Yung, who grew up in Tsuen Wan and lived near Heung Wo Street, was already familiar with the murder case before the film's production.[18][19] To research for the screenplay, he personally approached Kan Fuk-kui with the help of then-district councilor Leung Yiu-chung and solicitor Mary Jean Reimer and listened to him share his story.[20][21] Kan supported the idea of adapting his experiences for the big screen,[22][23] aiming to share his rare insights and draw attention to people with mental illness.[24] The concept of the father writing letters to his deceased wife in the film was also inspired by real advice from psychiatrist David Tsang [zh] to Kan.[20] The screenplay began development in 2012,[20] but the project was ultimately stalled in development.[18] Fond of his own screenplay, Yung purchased the adaptation rights and took on the role of director.[19] Unlike the typical approach of focusing on the murder as a thriller, Yung aimed to tell the story from the father's perspective and raise awareness of mental illness.[18][11] He also employed a nonlinear narrative with disjointed flashbacks while writing the screenplay, explaining that this approach was intended to replicate human memories, which "do not function linearly and can be fragmented".[25]
After purchasing the rights, Yung's first creative decision was to invite Sean Lau to join the project,[19] as he found Lau's strong contrast in appearance and personality to be fitting for the role of the father.[11] Although Lau was initially hesitant to accept the role due to the character's complexity, he read the script multiple times and ultimately found himself drawn to it, agreeing to participate in the project.[26] Yung initially scrapped the project after the production of Port of Call, but he was encouraged to move forward through discussions with Kan.[21] Lau began preparing for the role two years before filming during the COVID-19 pandemic,[27] including growing his hair long,[19] and transcribing the lyrics of the film's theme song to immerse himself in the character.[11][28]
Pre-production
Sean Lau and Jo Koo interviewed by am730 in December 2024
Yung began casting for Papa after the release of Port of Call in 2015.[29]Jo Koo was initially attached to Yung in another unrealized film project, and he approached her to join this project, believing her charisma of "both gentle and strong" made her suitable for the role of the mother, as well as her appropriate age.[29] To prepare for her role as a Hakka native, Koo learned Hakka for three days from Yung's relative.[a] Yung held auditions for the role of the son, seeing over a hundred actors, but ultimately cast newcomer Dylan So, who was chosen outside the official casting process.[21][27] So is the son of a friend of an administrative staff member in the production crew and did not intend to become an actor, and Yung selected him after the staff member showed him So's photo, feeling that his aura matched his vision of the son.[21][32]Yeung Wai Lun, the lead actor from The Sparring Partner (2022) produced by Yung, returned to star in the film and provided advice to So on portraying a murderer.[33][34]Wing Mo [zh], who also collaborated with Yung in The Sparring Partner, served as the film's acting coach.[35]
Yung continued to refine the screenplay until 2022, aiming to differentiate the story from Port of Call, despite both films revolving around murder, and rewrote the screenplay incorporating his personal experiences following the death of a family member and the changing social atmosphere.[22] After producing The Sparring Partner, Yung found himself in debt and had to make a low-budget Chinese romance film, Penny Pinchers (2024), to repay it while on holiday in 2022 and further postponed production.[36][5] He returned to Hong Kong to direct the project right afterwards,[37] a film he described as a real "Hong Kong film", in contrast to his previous project, which he characterized as a "very mainland Chinese film".[36]Papa initially faced a lack of investment because its title was considered "not commercial enough".[5] In June 2022, the film was greenlit as part of the Hong Kong Film Development Council's Operation Greenlight with a budget of HKD$7,246,400 through the Film Production Financing Scheme, with Amy Chin [zh] producing and Sean Lau and Jo Koo attaching as the lead cast.[38][39] Yung teased the production of the project in February 2023,[37][40] describing it as a "small-scale art-house film" and expressing uncertainty about whether it could be released in China.[36][37]Jennifer Yu joined the cast in an undisclosed role in March 2023.[41][b]
Filming and post-production
Principal photography began in March 2023.[40] Taiwanese cinematographer Chin Ting-chang, who collaborated with Philip Yung on Where the Wind Blows (2022), helmed the shoot.[42] Yung used a 4:3 aspect ratio during filming to create "the sensation of watching a home video rather than a feature film", enhancing the film's casual atmosphere and making it feel like "a glimpse into everyday life in a typical household".[22][2] Initially, Yung opted for a 1.66:1 aspect ratio to achieve this effect, based on recommendations from cinematographer Leung Ming Kai, but he found it did not convey the casual and everyday feel he was aiming for, so he switched to a 4:3 aspect ratio.[43] He also included cotton-tree flowers in the background of several scenes, noting that this detail was not in the original script, but simply a result of the shoot coinciding with the cotton tree blossoming and causing the falling cotton to "keep coming back into the shot".[25]
Although the murder took place in Tsuen Wan, Philip Yung opposed the idea of shooting on location in the district to avoid bringing back tragic memories for local residents, except for the scene where Ming fled after the murder was filmed on location at Tsuen Wan Riviera Park [zh] in accordance with the real-life events.[18] Yung explained that he chose to film on location because the park offers a direct view of the Rambler Channel, which cannot be replicated by another park, and the Riviera Park is built on a slope, which he described as giving an impression of "a cage trapping the murderer".[43] All other scenes set in Tsuen Wan were primarily shot in To Kwa Wan,[18][5] with scenes intended to take place on Heung Wo Street shot on Mei King Street [zh-yue] instead.[43] Yung chose Mei King Street because his production company's office is located nearby, and he felt the landscape and architectural style of the tong laus there resembled those of Heung Wo Street.[43] The cha chaan teng that served as the backdrop for the protagonists' family restaurant was filmed at Mei King Restaurant, while the tong sui shop owned by Junior (played by Tung Fong Shing) was shot at the dessert shop Kam Lo Dessert on the same street.[43] The interior scenes of the Yuen family's apartment were filmed in a tong lau on Boundary Street, Sham Shui Po, where the window views and police investigation scenes that featured the exterior walls of the building incorporated CGI to depict the scenery of Mei King Street during post-production.[43]
Sean Lau and Jennifer Yu reportedly joined the production on 17 March,[41][44] with filming continuing through April.[45] Lau took a hiatus to attend the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards on 16 April before returning to shoot the following day.[46] Lau filmed every one of his scenes in two to three versions, expressing different emotions for Yung to choose from during post-production.[30] Filming wrapped up within the first half of the year, and the rough cut was completed by September 2023.[47] The film was pitched to festival directors by Screen International alongside 14 Asian films in January 2024,[48] and was presented at the Hong Kong Filmart in March 2024.[38] A teaser poster was released on 25 September along with the announcement of its world premiere date.[49] A member of the boy group Mirror was reported to have a cameo appearance in November,[50] and Philip Yung revealed that it was Edan Lui in the same month.[9][51] Yung met Lui when he was serving as the lead in another film, Legal Hide and Seek [zh] (2025), which was produced by Yung in the same year,[32] and Lui's cameo scene was not included in the original screenplay.[2]
Music
The film's score was composed by Chinese musician Ding Ke,[42] who had previously collaborated with Philip Yung on Port of Call.[52] It also featured Teddy Robin's 1981 song "This is Love" as the theme song, which the characters performed in multiple scenes throughout the film.[53][54] Keith Ho of HK01 described the song choice as "a masterstroke", noting that the lyrics captured Nin's inner struggles, his beautiful memories with his wife, and his motivation to reconcile with his son;[55] while Cyrus Lamprecht, writing for Hong Kong Economic Times, also acknowledged the choice of the theme song, noting that it was also used as an interlude in Ann Hui's The Story of Woo Viet (1981), and compared the similar themes of the two films, both conveying the message of the protagonists letting go of their obsessions and freeing themselves from their tragedies.[56]
Release
Papa had its world premiere in competition at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival on 31 October 2024,[57][58] and was screened as the closing film of the 21st Hong Kong Asian Film Festival on 10 November 2024.[59][60] The film premiered at Olympian City, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong on 2 December,[61] followed by a theatrical release in Hong Kong on 5 December.[62][13]
Reception
Box office
Papa debuted with a gross of HKD$1.93 million on its opening day,[63] with Philip Yung expressing satisfaction with the numbers.[64] It grossed HKD$5 million by the third day of release,[65] climbed to HKD$10 million after one week.[66] The box office continued to surge, reaching HKD$12 million by the tenth day,[67] and finishing the third week with a total of HKD$18.3 million.[68]
Critical response
Richard Kuipers of Variety praised Papa for its "low-key presentation that creates high emotional impact", emphasizing its "great depth and complexity" and highlighting Sean Lau's "terrific performance" and Philip Yung's skillful direction, which effectively balances emotional depth with an exploration of love and loss in the aftermath of tragedy through a nonlinear narrative.[4] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "well-crafted and intriguing", exploring the aftermath of a tragic crime through the eyes of a father grappling with grief and seeking understanding, ultimately offering a complex reflection on redemption interspersed with moments of dramatic frustration.[69]
Edmund Lee of South China Morning Post gave the film 4/5 stars, summarizing it as a "psychologically complex tale of unconditional family love, beautifully narrated around an impossibly macabre twist", while praising the 4:3 aspect ratio and fragmented flashbacks that create an "emotionally genuine slice-of-life drama" and highlighting the uniformly excellent ensemble, especially Sean Lau's poignant performance as the conflicted father, which provides a well-crafted exploration of grief and love despite its true crime roots.[3] Amy Mullins of China Daily acknowledged the film's "intimate, gritty" storytelling and its innovative use of time and visual style to convey the protagonist's emotional turmoil, suggesting that it offers a soulful exploration of trauma without judging its characters.[70]
Calvin Choi, writing for Hong Kong Economic Times, expressed his admiration for the film, commending its focus on the emotional aftermath of a tragic crime rather than the crime itself, and praises the film's nuanced exploration of the father's grief and memories, highlighting the complexity of relationships, particularly the father-son bond, while acknowledging the emotional difficulty it evokes.[71] Alex Chung of HK01 shared a similar view on the film's portrayal of the struggles with grief and communication faced by the father while effectively adapting the real-life murder and the father's personal experiences, along with its unique narrative style and strong performances particularly by the leads Sean Lau and Jo Koo.[8]
Notes
^There are conflicting reports regarding who taught Jo Koo Hakka, with am730 stating it was Yung's cousin,[30] while East Week stating it was Yung's aunt.[31]
^Jennifer Yu did not appear in the theatrical version of the film.
