Still Human

Still Human (Chinese: 淪落人) is a 2018 Hong Kong comedy-drama film directed and written by Oliver Chan in her feature film directorial debut. It stars veteran actor Anthony Wong and Crisel Consunji in her film debut. The film chronicles the relationship between a wheelchair-bound man and his Filipina domestic helper. The film had its world premiere at the 15th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival on 6 November 2018[2] before it was theatrically released on 11 April 2019.[3]

Still Human
Official film poster
Traditional淪落人
Simplified沦落人
MandarinLúnluòrén
Cantoneseleon4 lok6 jan4
Directed byOliver Chan
Produced byFruit Chan
Written byOliver Chan
StarringAnthony Wong
Music byAustin Chau
CinematographyDerek Siu
Edited byOliver Chan
Production
company
No Ceiling Film
Distributed byGolden Scene Company
Release date
  • 6 November 2018 (2018-11-06) (HKAFF)
  • 11 April 2019 (2019-04-11) (Hong Kong)
Running time
111 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$19,811,169[1]

The film received positive critical reception upon release. It was the best selling film in Hong Kong at the week of its release, making over US$940,000 in a weekend. At the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards, it took home three awards, including Wong's third Best Actor win after 20 years.[4]

Plot

A paralyzed and hopeless Hong Kong man meets his new Filipino domestic worker, a former nurse who has put her dream of being a photographer on hold and came to the city to earn a living.[5] The two strangers live under the same roof through different seasons, and as they learn more about each other, they also learn more about themselves. Together, they learn about how to face the different seasons of life.

Cast

Production

The Government of Hong Kong runs the First Feature Film Initiative, which funds winners' first feature film. Oliver Chan won the prize in the Higher Education Institution Group in 2017 with Still Human, and was awarded $3.25 million HKD.[6] The film was produced by No Ceiling Film.[5]

Chan sent Anthony Wong an email pitching the film with low expectations, but Wong agreed to take the part with no pay. Consunji auditioned for her role after reading about it in a Facebook ad.[7][8]

Social impact

There are over 370,000 foreign domestic helpers, otherwise known as migrant workers, in Hong Kong as of 2017. They mainly come from Indonesia and the Philippines. Their condition has been scrutinised by human rights groups as cases of abuse have been reported, in addition to poor living conditions and treatment from employers, and everyday discrimination. This film is the first in Hong Kong to have a migrant worker as a leading character, and has sparked discussions about their lives in the city.

Accepting Best New Performer at the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards, Crisel Consunji said "in Hong Kong, when we celebrate our diversity, we move forward together", and thanked "all the women who bravely shared with [her] their stories", calling them "modern heroes". She delivered parts of her speech in Cantonese, English and Tagalog.[9]

Awards
Award ceremony Category Recipient Result
13th Asian Film Awards[10] Best New Director Oliver Chan Won
25th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award Best Film Still Human Nominated
Best Director Oliver Chan Nominated
Best Screenplay Oliver Chan Won
Best Actor Anthony Wong Won
Best Actress Crisel Consunji Nominated
Films of Merit Still Human Won
38th Hong Kong Film Awards[4] Best Film Still Human Nominated
Best Director Oliver Chan Nominated
Best Screenplay Oliver Chan Nominated
Best New Director Oliver Chan Won
Best Actor Anthony Wong Won
Best Actress Crisel Consunji Nominated
Best New Performer Won
Best Supporting Actor Sam Lee Nominated
21st Far East Film Festival[11] Audience Award (first place) Still Human Won
Black Dragon Award Still Human Won

Reception

Critical reception

Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post rated the film 3.5 of 5 stars. Lee praised Oliver Chan and stated that Still Human "is one of those rare gems of a film which takes a distinctly Hong Kong scenario and turns it into a gently comical drama with universal appeal."[12]

Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily wrote that Oliver Chan "clearly works well with actors" and praised Consunji's performance.[13]

Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter praised Chan as a writer who "excels at portraying the often precarious lives of overseas Filipino workers with compassion and insight." However, he cited that the main character "Leung's sudden about-face in his treatment of Evelyn represents the narrative’s obvious weak point".[5]

Box office

Still Human grossed HK$19,811,169 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 11 April to 3 July 2019, making it the fifth highest-grossing domestic of the year in the territory.[1]

References
  1. "香港市道差　2019年電影總票房下跌1.75%". 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  2. "Review: Still Human - easternkicks.com".
  3. "淪落人 - WMOOV".
  4. "38th HK Film Award winner list". Hong Kong Film Awards.
  5. Lowe, Justin (2018-12-26). "'Still Human': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  6. "3rd First Feature Film Initiative winners".
  7. "(Chinese) HK01 interview with Oliver Chan". HK01.
  8. "'Still Human' Stars Anthony Wong and Crisel Consunji on Their Roles of a Lifetime". Prestige Online. 2019-07-05. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  9. "撼贏視后胡定欣！Crisel Consunji奪新演員". on.cc東網 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  10. "Asian Film Awards".
  11. "21st Far East Film Festival winners".
  12. Lee, Edmund (2019-04-10). "Still Human film review: Anthony Wong, Crisel Consunji shine in heart-warming domestic help drama". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
  13. Halligan, Fionnuala (2019-03-19). "'Still Human': Hong Kong Review". Retrieved 2019-09-29.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.