Mad World (Yat nim mou ming 一念無明)

VANCOUVER PREMIERE | Hong Kong A-listers Shawn Yue and Eric Tsang star in Wong Chun’s gritty independent drama, which won the Golden Horse Award (Taiwan’s Oscar) for Best New Director. Made on a shoestring budget — the two stars took significant pay cuts to participate — the film portrays the difficult relationship between a mentally-ill former stockbroker and his estranged truck driver father, while also shedding light on the more unsavoury aspects of contemporary Hong Kong. As the film begins, Tung (Yue) is released into the grudging care of his father (Tsang) after several years in a mental hospital. In the cramped tenement his father shares with a multitude of judgmental and ill-informed neighbours, Tung must begin the challenging task of facing up to his troubled past (including the tragic death of his mother) while embarking on an uncertain future.

Post-screening discussion with Dr. Erin Michalak  and Dr. Steven Barnes.  Dr. Erin Michalak is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia and founder and leader of the Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial issues in Bipolar Disorder (CREST.BD).

Dr. Steven Barnes is Assistant Head of the Department of Psychology at UBC, and co-deputy director of CREST.BD. He lives well with bipolar disorder, is an artist, talented web programmer and designer, and has a keen interest in the translation and visualization of BD-related research knowledge.

Co-sponsored by the Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial issues in Bipolar Disorder (CREST.BD)

Moderated by Caroline Coutts, film curator, filmmaker, and programmer of “Frames of Mind” since its inception in September 2002

REVIEWS

“An audaciously unshowy indie drama … Mad World offers an intimate showcase of a promising director.”

Hollywood Reporter | full review