[2025.12.06] FISH LIEW ONLY REMEMBERS BITS AND PIECES OF

Carlos Chan and Fish Liew both say that the other is a good co-star who makes people feel comfortable and at ease

SOMEONE LIKE ME is the love story of a cerebral palsy patient

Director Tam Wai Ching
courtesy of mingpao.com

IN YOUR DREAMS (YI CHING CHUN DIK MING YI) director Tam Wai Ching directed the new film SOMEONE LIKE ME (JEUNG NGOR JEH YEUNG DIK OI CHING), which starred Fish Liew Chi Yu and Carlos Chan Ka Lok. The film has been selected for the "Women's Empowerment" section of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival; the film told the story of Amei, who was born with cerebral palsy, had an optimistic personality, but her overprotective mother resolutely arranged for her to undergo hysterectomy; on the recommendation of a friend, Amei found a spontaneous organization that provided sexual services for people with disabilities and met volunteer Ah Kin. Films featuring cerebral palsy patients are not uncommon, such as the Japanese film 37 SECONDS and the Lee Chang-dong directed OASIS, etc. Tam Wai Ching said, "When I decided to make this subject, I hoped not to magnify the cerebral palsy disease; so I wrote it as a love story."

Fish said that she has long noticed that an organization in Taiwan that provides sexual services for people with disabilities, "Hand Angel". She has always wanted to write a story about it but never did. When she learned in a roundabout way that Tam Wai Ching wanted to shoot it, she immediately offered her services. "Maybe Heaven heard my prayers, the director finally asked me." Tam said that she wanted to ask her a long time ago. "She is the most sought-after actress in Hong Kong, I heard that she has no room on her schedule." Chan Ka Lok has never heard of the organization, but after reading the script he was very interested in performing. "First, it is a literary romance film, and secondly I have always admired the producer Kwan Kam Peng." The director was rumored to have no confidence in him, but after they met Ka Lok confessed that he was in poor physical condition. He won the role instead because he was as imperfect as the character.

Fish said that she started preparing for the role a month before filming started. She met with a disabled athlete, shot some videos and went home to practice. "She helped me a lot. I asked about the details of her life with her boyfriend, as well as body movements, breathing, speech style, etc." Ka Lok also cut his hair short, got a tan, and even lost 15 pounds for the role.

In the film Fish and Ka Lok have a bed scene, the latter bared his rear in the performance. Not only the two of them but also Tam Wai Ching was embarrassed during the shoot. "We are all so nervous, but we have been pretending to be fine. We didn't have any special rehearsal beforehand." The director said that Fish would probably be the most embarrassed because she saw Ka Lok in his full frontal glory, but Fish said, "I don't remember anything, I blacked out! I probably have looked down, but I don't remember at all." Ka Lok laughed and said that he has taken sufficient safety measures. At the time he did not care whether he had any "wardrobe malfunction" or not, saying that he did not care even he did. "I was better off finishing the shoot as soon as possible, her (Fish) seeing it alone was better than the whole world seeing it after a bad take." Because of this bed scene, Tam Wai Ching shared the short story when Patrick Tam Ka Ming directed NOMAD (LIT FOR CHING CHUN). In that film after the bed scene between Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing and Cecilia Yip Tung was completed, assistant director Stanley Kwan Kam Peng rushed over and handed a towel to the two actors to wrap themselves up in; but Tam Ka Ming yelled at him, saying that his move made the actors embarrassed. If the actors performed professionally, they would never mind being naked in front of others.

Fish said that the most memorable scene in the film was watching the sunrise with Ka Lok on Fei Ngo Shan. That night was very cold and foggy. Ka Lok said that breaking down and crying while eating cake was the most memorable. "The first time I filmed this scene it was almost dawn, the schedule was rushed and everyone was very tired. After the performance and the director watched the play back, she didn't say good take. She only said she got enough to edit, then the shoot was done." Fish felt the same way, "(As an actor) The phrase 'enough to edit' is worse than foul language." Ka Lok continued, "After returning home I was in a very bad mood, thinking about what I was missing in that scene. My wife saw I was upset and as soon as I talked bout it I broke down and cried; later, I received a text message from the director, saying that the scene would be filmed again the next day. I was just waiting for the director to say this; I didn't know if I would perform better, but I must shoot it again." When Tam Wai Ching heard Ka Lok's confession, she was moved to tears on the spot.