Still Human

Film description

Leung Cheong-wing is dependent on the help of others since he suffered an accident at the construction site and is now paralyzed from the chest down. He lives alone in one of the small, stuffy public housing estates in Hong Kong. His ex-wife and son live in the United States, only his sister and best friend come to visit. Caring for Cheong-wing is becoming more and more difficult for them, so they decide to hire a migrant worker from the Philippines, Evelyn, as a domestic help. The woman patiently endures Cheong-wing's mood swings, constant stress and difficult housing conditions, trying to deal with the problems she left in the Philippines. The characters gradually overcome the language barrier, without suspecting that they will thoroughly influence each others' lives...

"Still Human" strength lies not only in the well-written script of a low-key drama, excellent acting, accurate capture of Hong Kong's everyday realities such as Sunday gatherings of Filipino domestic workers in the middle of a street in the city center. Oliver Chen Siu-kuen's full-length debut is a story shown from the perspective of the excluded, who in her film speak with their own voice, expressing their anxieties and hopes for the future. The two main characters face their physical and economic limitations, which have become their prison. The extraordinary imagination and sensitivity to the problems of the city's residents - migrants and native Hong Kongers - enable deep identification with the characters. "Still Human" is a chance to look at Hong Kong from their point of view as a city that offers as many unexpected traps as opportunities for better life.

Maja Korbecka