A retired colonial-era soldier tied up with the triad risks crossing his violent bosses to help a young South Asian drug runner in this confident Hong Kong crime noir from debut director Kin Long Chan.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2021
Hand Rolled Cigarette 2020
Sau gyun yin
Chiu (Gordon Lam), an ex-soldier that served in the Hong Kong Military Services Corp, was left behind when Britain failed to provide him a way out before the colony was returned to China. Now working for a triad, he arranges a smuggling deal for boss Tai (Ben Yuen) and runs cons for extra cash. When Hong Kong-born South Asian drug runner Mani (Bipin Karma) suddenly appears in his apartment to hide from the same triad boss, along with a stolen bag of dope, Chiu cuts a deal with him in return for letting him stay. The two men, despite their cultural differences, see their similarities as remnants of the city’s colonial past, forging a close friendship as their lives become increasingly under threat.
Kin Long Chan’s stylish directorial debut confidently tackles character drama, crime thriller and suspense – the staples of Hong Kong crime cinema. Karma, in a prominent role rarely bestowed to South Asian actors, gives a moving performance that provides Hand Rolled Cigarette with an extra dimension by examining Hong Kong’s postcolonial cultural identity. The ever-versatile Lam is tremendous as a desperate man whose actions hide a deeper tragedy he is trying to amend. — Vicci Ho