Cover From left: Sean Lau Ching-wan and Philip Yung in a still from ‘Papa’ (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
From left: Sean Lau Ching-wan and Philip Yung in a still from ‘Papa’ (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
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Sean Lau, who won Best Actor at Hong Kong Film Awards for ‘Papa’, and director Philip Yung talk about creating a film that explores the ordeal associated with being a murderer’s father
Hong Kong director Philip Yung’s Papa, a true crime drama, seems to be an odd one out in the pipeline of cheery, rom-com Christmas movies this month. But unlike a typical murder mystery, this film does away with sensational elements and instead focuses on the emotional toll that takes place in the aftermath of a horrific crime.
Papa is based on the murder case that took place in Tsuen Wan in 2010, when a teenager who suffered from schizophrenia murdered his mother and sister before turning himself in. In the film, Sean Lau plays the role of the teenager’s father who goes through survivor’s guilt. The film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival and will arrive in Hong Kong on December 5, 2024.
Yung, known for writing the scripts of The Sparring Partners (2022) and Port of Call (2015)—both based on real murder cases—describes Papa as “a story about family and human nature”, which may just be timely topics for the season of love and family.
Ahead of its Hong Kong release, Tatler sat down with Lau—who won Best Actor at Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Papa—and Yung to talk about the craft and ethics of making true crime movies and more.
In case you missed it: Golden Horse Best Actress nominee Patra Au on ageism in Hong Kong film industry and playing a queer person in ‘All Shall Be Well’
Above From left: Philip Yung and Sean Lau (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
From left: Philip Yung and Sean Lau (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
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What inspired Papa?
Yung: The starting point of this script isn’t about the murder. When I began writing it, I couldn’t stop, especially when it comes to writing the perspective of the father: how can this middle-aged man carry on when he has to face a hurdle like this? Of course, there are also parts about the son, the mother and other characters, but the most fascinating subject is the father. How one finds a way out or responds to a situation in dark times has always been one of my favourite topics to work on.
How did you land the role of the papa in Papa?
Lau: I’m happy that Philip saw my talent for the role. I really liked the script. It’s not one of those stories about vengeance and romance, good versus evil or justice. It’s about an ordinary family, and what happened to this family can happen to anyone else. Taking up this role was a good challenge for me.
Above A still from ‘Papa’ (Image: courtesy of Golden Scene)
A still from ‘Papa’ (Image: courtesy of Golden Scene)
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How did you prepare for the role?
Lau: I read the script repeatedly. I wrote down the lyrics of the song that he likes singing [to his wife], and the names of my children, how old they are and where the family lives, [all this helped me get into my character].
The film jumps back and forth in time. Tell us why you went with this approach.
Yung: I’m crazy about exploring the presentation of time onscreen. I studied the homicide case through and through and found that the father’s memories were jumpy. It’s almost like he was remembering things from a stream of consciousness. When he recalled the whole story [to the court], his memories were jumbled up and in bits and pieces. So how do I present his chaotic emotions? I used objects and scenarios as triggers for the father’s memory. It’s a journey of how he combs through the past and tries to make peace.
Above The son in ‘Papa’ (Image: courtesy of Golden Scene)
The son in ‘Papa’ (Image: courtesy of Golden Scene)
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Sean, you’ve played a lot of strong characters in your career. How different was it playing a tender father this time?
Lau: I think this father is also a strong character. It isn’t easy to accept and make peace with what happened. Different directors have different ways of presenting this. Philip chose to depict him as a down-to-earth hero. There aren’t emotional climaxes. It’s a simple and comfortable storytelling process, like breathing.
Yung: When we worked on the story, we tended to complicate the matter. Sean reminded us to look at the starting point of the story. Through our discussions, we got a deeper understanding of human emotions which we might not have paid attention to in the initial stages. At the end of the day, Papa is a simple story about simple emotions, even though homicide is a heavy subject.
What was the experience of working with Sean like?
Yung: I’ve long been a fan of Sean. He doesn’t smile a lot so you might think he’s angry, but he’s very casual and friendly deep down. But when he smiles, he can be serious too. This strong contrast in his personality is very fitting for his role in this movie, as he brought out the unique, unexpected experiences of an ordinary father.
Above Sean Lau (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
Above Philip Yung (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
Sean Lau (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
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How did you refrain from sensationalising the murder and make it about human emotions instead?
Yung: Some people in the audience may be disappointed when they go and see Papa and find out that it isn’t a typical murder story. Papa is a family story, and I borrowed the topic of murder to talk about human nature. I want to create this effect of unexpectedness. There are plenty of murder and mystery stories in Hong Kong, so I don’t think we need another one. What I want to show in Papa is how one rises from darkness and carries on in life.
Lau: That’s something I wanted to show as well. My character has to go through so many hurdles to find a way out. It’s not easy because life isn’t black and white.
Credits
Interview: Zabrina Lo
Photography: Zed Leets
Photography Assistant: Carlos Hui
Lighting: Vicky Cho
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
