Public Toilet

106 Minutes | 2003 | Fiction | Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, English | English Subtitles

Content Advisory: This film is not suitable for young persons and children.

Abandoned at birth in a Beijing public restroom, Dong Dong (ABE Tsuyoshi) sets out on a global journey to find a cure for his adoptive grandmother’s cancer. Along the way—from Busan to New York—he encounters others searching for healing for either themselves or their loved ones, including a restaurant owner, a hitman, and a friend exploring folk remedies in India. As Dong Dong reconnects with the people he meets—each driven by love, desperation, or belief—they come together, united in their pursuit of meaning.

Fruit CHAN (b. 1959) is a Hong Kong director, screenwriter, and producer known for his sharp portrayals of marginalized communities and socially incisive films that explore class divides, urban alienation, and fractured identities. He rose to prominence with Made in Hong Kong (1997), the first film in his acclaimed “Hong Kong Trilogy,” which earned him Best Director at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards. The Trilogy also includes The Longest Summer (1998) and Little Cheung (1999). His other notable works include the “Prostitute Trilogy”: Durian Durian (2000), Hollywood Hong Kong (2001), and Three Husbands (2018).