[2024.11.02] SEAN LAU'S PAPA PERFORMANCE MAY BE THE BEST IN HIS FILM CAREER

Director Philip Yung, Dylan So and Jo Koo attend a PAPA after screening forum in Tokyo

Dylan So in his film debut already has many scenes opposite his on screen PAPA Sean Lau
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival has screened many new Hong Kong films, but only PORT OF CALL (DAP HUET CHUM MUI)'s Philip Yung Tsz Kwong directed PAPA was selected for the main competition section. The film was screened at the theater in Hibiya in Tokyo the night before. Yung Tsz Kwong, lead actress Jo Koo (Kuk Cho Lam) and new actor Dylan So Man To attended the after screening forum; some viewers described Sean Lau Ching Wan's Best Actor-level acting skills in the film as impeccable. He perfectly interpreted the mood and mental changes before and after the great tragedy, which perhaps might be the best performance in his film career. However due to work he was unable to attend in person.

Opening in Hong Kong on December 5th, PAPA was based on the 2010 Tsuen Wan 15-year-old teenager's mother and sister murder case. It told the story of Yuen Wing Nin (Lau Ching Wan) returning to work at a Cha Chan Tang, everything seemed to be the same. His wife prepared breakfast, his son was playing computer games, and his daughter was taking care of the three colored cat; but since that night, the picture of the family no longer existed. Blood relative has taken away the love of life; he would never be able to forget the deceased, let alone hate the survivor. Kuk Cho Lam and So Man To followed the local customs, greeted the audience in Japanese at the post-screening meeting and received applause from the supportive audience. Director Yung Tsz Kwong said that he came into contact with the case in 2012, met with the "Papa" in the case, and listened to his story. "In the case the father would write to his wife, and the son in prison would also write to his father. I made a movie of the feelings expressed in their letters."

Some viewers praised the movie and described Lau Ching Wan's Best Actor-level acting skills as impeccable. Perfectly interpreting the mood and mental changes before and after encounter the great tragedy, he might have given his best performance in his film career; some viewers were also surprised by the maturity of newcomer So Man To's acting skills, and asked Kuk Cho Lam and So Man To what preparations have they made before filming. Kuk Cho Lam said that many years ago she already knew that Yung Tsz Kwong was preparing the script of PAPA, and thanked him for casting her to play the role of the wife; Kuk Cho Lam said that during filming she had to hollow herself out and devote herself to the role, and the preparation seemed to be there but not, "Lau Ching Wan's acting skills are good, and it is easy to get into character on the set. I often started crying before the cameras started rolling."

Current 18, So Man To is in his first year of college. He said that when he received the notice to perform, he was very happy because he was filming for the first time and he could also work with Lau Ching Wan. However the preparation process was a bit tortuous. "At first I didn't know how to play the role of psychosis, but then I figured it out. The most important thing was to express the relationship between father and son, and the relationship between father and son in the film is similar to mine with my own father to some extent."

Yung Tsz Kwong said that the mental illness mentioned in the film was very common, and there have been many tragedies in society due to mental illness. He also said that the relationship between father and son could not be expressed in a word or two, and he hoped that it could be presented through the movie. Yung Tsz Kwong did not forget to thank his friend Kuk Cho Lam, pointing out that she lost a family member to suicide due to emotional illness. He said, "I really like Kuk Cho Lam." She returned the favor, "I also really like Director Yung Tsz Kwong."