Podtalk: Kenneth Tsang, Lifetime Achievement Recipient at Asian Pop-Up Cinema, Oct. 10, 2019

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The APUC Season Nine finale “The Attorney” is a taut mystery/courtroom drama combining politics, the law, money and murder. Powerhouse attorney Lui (Patrick Tam) has won 12 cases in a row, so it’s a bit bewildering when he agrees to take on the defense of a young kid who wakes up next to the murdered daughter of a billionaire Hong Kong businessman … with no idea what happened the night before. The film is also a surprising relationship film, which also features Season Eight’s APUC Career Achievement recipient, Nina Paw Hee-Ching (click here for that interview).

A Scene from the Season Nine APUC Finale, ‘The Attorney’
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org

Both Cherrie Lau (Executive Producer) and Frances To (screenwriter) are long-time veterans of the Hong Kong film industry. They spoke through an interpreter.

HollywoodChicago.com: Frances, this film is more complex than just a simple crime and courtroom drama. Is it risky putting in portrayals of Hong Kong wealth in the film and how they can corrupt the system?

Frances To: To me, it’s about the story. And to tell a good story it doesn’t matter if we’re taking a risk or not, as long as the context of the story is being told correctly, and feels accurate for the audience.

HollywoodChicago.com: Cherrie, since this was a different type of crime film, told mostly in the courtroom, how did you want to cast the film that was different than what had been done before?

Cherrie Lau: The very typical Hong Kong film is usually an action film, with gunfire and car crashes. We obviously don’t have any of that, so we cast it with a different type of more serious actor. Alex Fong has portrayed a lawyer on a television drama, and Patrick Tam is a very honored actor in Hong Kong. They also did their research, talking to real lawyers in the Hong Kong legal system, to get the jargon correct.

HollywoodChicago.com: Frances, in your study of putting together the legal scenes of the movie, what did you find out about the court systems of Hong Kong that really surprised you?

Frances To: Lawyering in Hong Kong is a collaborative business. In typical courtroom dramas, it’s usually one lawyer to one client. In Hong Kong, I found that most law firms have a number of lawyers working for that one client. It’s much more complex than the one-to-one legal style, and I wanted to show that in the film.

HollywoodChicago.com: Cherrie, the film industry is changing rapidly and I”m sure that is also happening in Hong Kong. What is most different about the Hong Kong film industry in the 15 years you’ve been a part of it?

Cherrie Lau and Frances To in Chicago Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Cherrie Lau: Basically the markets we’re going after have expanded beyond Hong Kong, especially into China. And you’d probably think that Hong Kong and China would have similar audiences, but actually there are cultural differences. For example, comedy doesn’t translate very well from Hong Kong to China. [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com: Frances, since you are a veteran screenwriter, how have you reached a comfort level writing for men as well as women, and how did that play out in ‘The Attorney’?

Frances To: I observe that men and women do talk differently, and one of the most interesting journeys I’ve had as a screenwriter is learning how men talk. I think that women explain more, with the goal of having the listener understand what she’s saying. Men talk less, but have more subtext. When two men talk, they seem to be hiding something, preferring action to words.

I like reading a man’s mind, although I’m never sure if I’m doing it right. [laughs] For this film, the main men characters are lawyers, and they are canny and smart, but since the job is the same for women, I didn’t have much dialogue difference between the men and women lawyers.

HollywoodChicago.com: Cherrie, which character in the film do you most relate to, in the sense that they feel like what you would do in that situation, and why?



Cherrie Lau: It is the young lawyer portrayed by Alex Fong. He has strong beliefs in justice, but he has a lot to learn. In working in the film industry, I’m always seeking fairness, and looking for role models that will help me achieve that fairness.



HollywoodChicago.com: Finally for both of you, with the current situation of street clashes in Hong Kong, how do you think the justice system as you know it can help to solve some of the issues?


Cherrie Lau: I believe in the Hong Kong legal system. From the outside, this seems like a big problem, but I believe that uphold the law, respecting the law and following the law is the ultimate goal of the Hong Kong people.

Frances To: To add to that, everyone should be responsible for their own beliefs and behavior. Also everyone should do their best to resolve the situation.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]