Starting from August 23, the psychological thriller "Redemption" written, directed and performed by Nick Cheung, and starring Liu Junqian, Fala Chen, Zhu Chenli, and Yuen Fuhua, was officially released in major theaters in mainland China, and became the only Hong Kong film in this year's Ghost Festival period.
On the day of the premiere, Nick Cheung made a special trip to the Shanghai Baoshan Wanda Cinema to meet with the audience after the screening, where he discussed the process of creating this film, as well as the difficulties and challenges he faced. Even his flawless Mandarin couldn't conceal his candor and sincerity in answering a wide range of questions from the audience. The audience also got to see a different side of Nick Cheung, not just as an actor, but also as a screenwriter and director.
"Redemption of Dreams" was written, directed and starred by Nick Cheung.
"Redemption" is Nick Cheung's fourth directorial effort and his first in seven years. The film revolves around psychiatrist Wen Sihao (Liu Junqian) treating a taxi driver named Cai Xinqiang (Nick Cheung) who suffers from mental illness and insomnia, uncovering a series of heartbreaking human tragedies.
Nick Cheung attended the post-screening audience meeting in Shanghai.
Yesterday afternoon, as Nick Cheung walked into the theater, he asked everyone, "Are you scared?" The audience answered in unison, "Yes!" "That's great," he said with a smile, "I didn't set out to make an art film, I just wanted to make an entertainment film to take everyone into a dream world." As he said, "Redemption" has both the atmosphere of Chinese horror films and the jump scare of Western horror films, but neither is overused.
Liu Junqian and Nick Cheung in "Redemption".
However, "Redemption" isn't just a horror film designed to scare audiences, despite the notice on its poster: "Minors, please beware." First, its visual language is highly stylized, especially the images depicting the characters' dreams, which seem to transport the audience into a surreal fantasy world. Second, the film's theme is worth pondering: the experiences of the two protagonists correspond to two significant periods in Hong Kong: the economic boom of the 1970s and the Asian financial crisis near the end of the century. Through this exploration, the film explores how people lose themselves in the tide of the times and how their own mistakes backfire, highlighting that the so-called "ghosts" in the world are ultimately the hidden evils within.
Compared to past filmmaking projects where he simply honed his acting skills, Nick Cheung, who co-wrote, directed, and starred in "Redemption," admitted that the process of creating "Redemption" was incredibly challenging. "From the first word on my pen, to writing the entire film, to filming it and getting it out there for everyone to see... it was all incredibly difficult. I'm first and foremost an actor. I know many actors have ambitions to one day become directors, but I don't really have that in mind. I feel like I still have so much more to explore and pursue in acting alone. Furthermore, when you start writing a script without any support, you become dissatisfied and your confidence vanishes. After finally finishing the script, you can't find investors. Everyone thinks your subject matter is too unconventional and they're hesitant to take the risk with you. When filming finally begins, you have to work hard to find people who understand you and share your passion for film to collaborate with you and turn this concept into reality. The whole process is just asking for trouble."
The visual language of "Redemption of Dreams" is quite stylized.
"So, why did I choose to make "Redemption"? In addition to being an actor, I am also an audience member. After acting and watching so many films, I always feel that I am stuck in those mainstream themes. I hope to make some stories outside the mainstream. I think that as an audience member, I also hope to have more diverse viewing options. Sometimes I want to watch some unconventional themes. However, movies are also a commercial activity. Who can support my appeal? Since no one supports me, then I will support myself. Although it is indeed difficult to find investment for such themes, there should still be such works in the film industry."
In addition to the local Shanghai audience, the post-screening also featured many Nick Cheung fans who had traveled from other places. One of them expressed her a devoted Nick Cheung fandom, saying she had seen him 23 times and had seen "Redemption" numerous times. She was most curious about the film and whether any elements were inspired by Nick Cheung's real life. He said, "In the movie, I have a good friend named Ah Chi. Actually, I have a friend like him in real life who trusts me unconditionally. Sometimes I look at him and wonder: How could he trust me so much? Of course, I never lied to him. If you have a friend like him, please cherish him."
Nick Cheung discusses the psychological process of film creation.
"Using this question, I'd also like to discuss the experiences of our protagonist, Dr. Wen. Many people have traumatic memories from their childhoods, and Dr. Wen experienced severe domestic violence in his childhood, which resulted in the loss of his mother. When I was writing the script, I repeatedly considered how to handle his relationship with his father, ultimately deciding to have him choose forgiveness. Of course, it's also reasonable not to forgive, but at my age now, my heart has softened, and I thought: Dr. Wen's mother certainly didn't want him to be trapped in pain because of the past, so in the end, the father and son reconciled."
Liu Junqian plays a traumatized psychiatrist in the film.
Another audience member mentioned that Nick Cheung's acting style bears resemblance to Method masters Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, a question for Nick Cheung's own perspective. "I'm honored to be compared to these two masters," Nick Cheung said. "I'm not exactly sure what school I belong to, but I always insist on being authentic when playing a role, and I think these two masters' acting styles are similar. For example, in 'Cape Fear,' Robert De Niro plays a man fresh out of prison ready to seek revenge against a lawyer. You can sense both his rage and his confidence. And in commercial comedies like 'Meet the Fockers,' he truly has a fatherly air."
"My acting follows the same path. Once, an actor in Hong Kong told me, 'You don't have to act so realistically, movies are all fiction.' When I heard this, I didn't say anything on the surface, but in my heart I was cursing, 'Get away!' I have always wanted the audience to see performances that are closest to reality. I completed films like 'SPL', 'Drug War', 'Apostle', and 'Rebirth' with this in mind."
"Redemption" boasts a stellar cast, including Nick Cheung, Liu Junqian, Fala Chen, Natalie Chu, and Fiona Yuen, all of whom have garnered widespread recognition for their acting skills in recent years. Nick Cheung and Fala Chen, who plays his wife, share numerous scenes together. If Nick Cheung portrays a character on the verge of a mental breakdown, then Fala Chen's character borders on insanity.
Nick Cheung and Fala Chen play a couple in the film.
When asked about their first collaboration, Nick Cheung said, "Fala Chen is a very dedicated actress. I wasn't familiar with her before, having only met her once or twice, but I could sense she had a lot of energy to unleash. Also, Fala Chen is a very beautiful actress. It's easy for such actresses to be treated as mere vases, but if you give her a groundbreaking role, she's bound to be interested, and that's exactly what happened. Many of Fala Chen's scenes in 'Redemption' were very challenging, involving a state of hysteria."
"The character she plays is essentially a pitiful person. You may feel that her initial investment was too aggressive, which led to the tragedy that followed, but in fact, who in Hong Kong at the time was not the same? She was not alone in being more reckless. When the financial crisis hit, there were many people who even took their families with them on the road to no return."
Good friend Liu Genghong came to the scene to cheer for Nick Cheung.
It is worth mentioning that Andy Lau also made a cameo appearance in the film as a very mysterious character who has the ability to enter other people's dreams. However, he is not closely related to the main storyline, and the audience can't help but be curious about the significance of this character. "Throughout the film, I wanted to use science as a basis to present the treatment process of patients with mental problems, and the audience can also see a variety of different patients in the film." Nick Cheung said, "When I was writing the script, I was thinking, if there is a chance to turn it into a series of movies, and if I can make a second part, what kind of story should it be. If it is really feasible, everyone certainly doesn't want to see a plot similar to the first one, so if I want to make a second part, I want to shoot a contest between a dream master and a hypnotist, and the character relationships and narrative rhythm will be more delicate."
"Speaking of Andy Lau's character, attentive viewers will have noticed a scar on the back of his head and a fake hand. These are all foreshadowing for the future. He was seriously injured in an accident. As he said in the movie, he was nearly dead for more than ten hours before waking up and regaining the ability to dream. If I have the opportunity to expand "Redemption of Dreams" in the future, the story will unfold from here."
Nick Cheung took a photo with the audience.
