The Sunny Side of the Street

111 minutes | 2022 | Fiction | Cantonese, Urdu | English and Chinese Subtitles
Toronto Premiere
Content Advisory: This film contains coarse language and scenes of violence.

Having swum from Mainland to Hong Kong decades ago in pursuit of a livelihood, Pak-yat (Anthony WONG), long-estranged from his son, is now a vessel of smoldering resentment drowned in alcohol, echoing the malaise of middle age. The young Hassan (Sahal Zaman), who arrived at Hong Kong with his family as refugees from Pakistan, understands very little of his parents’ worries and goes astray to join a gang. Two ill-fated lives, bonded through the death of Hassan’s father, will soon confront the thorns of their connection. Forever strangers to Hong Kong, they are burdened with unresolvable sorrows as well as ceaseless but mundane hustle and bustle.

LAU Kok Rui is a Hong Kong-based Malaysian writer-director. His short films, Let’s Get Lost (2017), Have a Nice Day (2018), How High the Moon (2019) and Rootless in the City (2019), were selected by various international film festivals. His debut feature The Sunny Side of the Street received 6 nominations at the 59th Golden Horse Awards and won Best New Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Leading Actor.