Cageman
Southeast Asian Premiere
Jacob Cheung Hong Kong 1992 150 min NC16 (Coarse Language)
A colourful cast of working-class Hong Kongers resists eviction from their bedspace apartments in this humanistic reflection of pre-1997 Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong’s squalid tenements, low-income ‘cagemen’ live in bunk beds separated by chicken wire, forming an intimate camaraderie within their cramped shared space. When news of a planned eviction arrives, the media, police, lawyers and politicians, each with their own agendas, descend upon the community. The residents must decide whether to relent or resist.
Inspired by a fatal fire in a cage home in 1990, Jacob Cheung casts a sympathetic eye on the plight of those most impacted by the city’s corrupt bureaucracy and capitalism, while recognising their humour and resilience.
Naturalistic performances and authentic dialogue from an ensemble cast breathe life into the endearing, good-natured characters. With long takes that highlight the claustrophobia and clamour of the environs, Cageman is an immersive portrayal of cage homes. It is a humanistic work that celebrates communal spirit and agency while gently indicting opportunistic and hypocritical authority figures.
Synopsis Writer: Aditi Shivaramakrishnan
Landmark, Q&A
22 Oct, Thu 5:30PM / 150 min
Oldham Theatre
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Cageman
籠民
Jacob Cheung
Hong Kong
1992
Cantonese
English
150 min
NC16 (Coarse Language)
Southeast Asian Premiere
Jacob Cheung
Hong Kong film industry veteran Jacob Cheung’s prolific career traverses directing, producing, screenwriting and acting. He is most known for his early relationship dramas and sensitive social realist works, including Lai Shi, China’s Last Eunuch (1988), Always on My Mind (1993), Intimates (1997), The Kid (1999), and Midnight Fly (2001). Cageman scooped four prizes, including Best Film and Best Director, at the 1993 Hong Kong Film Awards.
Roy Chiao,
Liu Kai-Chi,
Wong Ka-Kui
Jacob Cheung
Cageman is one of the films under M+ Restored, an initative supported by M+’s Major Partner, CHANEL.