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Ming On

Mad Fate
Berlinale Special 2023
© 2022 MakerVille Company Limited and Noble Castle Asia Limited
The sky above Hong Kong is not just heavy with clouds and rain, it also contains astral signs and dark omens in this esoteric neo-noir. In a radical and counter-intuitive move, rather than having the characters’ trajectories converge towards the end, the plot instead knits their fates together from the start. Crossing paths at the scene of a heinous crime in a brothel are the serial killer perpetrator and the upstanding detective chasing him, but also a delivery boy obsessed with blood and knives and an occultist feng shui master who had predicted the victim’s gory fate without being able to prevent it. The last two quickly form an unlikely pair, and this transforms the film into a surreal, hyperkinetic, expressionist buddy thriller. The horoscopes confirm that the boy will soon succumb to his bloodthirsty temptations, but to redeem past failures and save him from his fate, the fortune teller is willing to do anything. As the investigations gather pace, the pair sinks into delirium in a whirlwind of superstitions, rituals and distortions, against a backdrop of an alchemical metropolis.
by Soi Cheang
with Lam Ka Tung, Lokman Yeung, Berg Ng, Ng Wing Sze, Chan Charm Man Peter Hong Kong, China 2022 Cantonese 108’ Colour World premiere

With

  • Lam Ka Tung (The Master)
  • Lokman Yeung (Siu Tung)
  • Berg Ng (The Veteran)
  • Ng Wing Sze (Prostitute Jo)
  • Chan Charm Man Peter (The Murderer)

Crew

Director Soi Cheang
Screenplay Yau Nai Hoi, Melvin Li
Cinematography Cheng Siu Keung
Editing Allen Leung, David Richardson
Music Chung Chi Wing, Ben Cheung
Sound Design Chill Yang
Sound Thomas Cheng
Production Design Bruce Yu, Cat Leung
Costumes Karen Yip
Assistant Directors Wylie Chan, Becky Chan
Production Manager Jackson Ha
Producers Johnnie To, Yau Nai Hoi, Elaine Chu
Executive Producers Lo Ting Fai, Johnnie To

World Sales

MakerVille Company

https://www.makerville.hk https://www.makerville.hk

Produced by

MakerVille Company

https://www.makerville.hk https://www.makerville.hk

Photos

Berlinale Meets | Interview

Soi Cheang

© Soi Cheang

Born in Macau in 1972, the Hong Kong filmmaker, actor and screenwriter made his directing debut with Our Last Days. His films have screened at numerous festivals: Motorway screened at the Locarno Film Festival, SPL2: A Time For Consequences screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and Accident was in competition at the Venice International Film Festival. His greatest commercial success, The Monkey King series, achieved total box office returns of over 440 million US dollars.

Filmography (selection)

1999 Our Last Days 2001 Horror Hotline... Big Head Monster 2006 Dog Bite Dog 2009 Accident 2012 Che sau (Motorway) 2016 The Monkey King 2 2018 The Monkey King 3: Kingdom of Women 2014 Xi you ji: Da nao tian gong (The Monkey King) 2019 Accident 2015 SPL2: A Time for Consequences 2021 Limbo 2023 Ming On (Mad Fate)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023