Story of Father and Son

White-collar worker Shing (Cheung Wood-yau) is ready to get ahead in life as he brings his son Shrimpy (Yuen Siu-fai) from the countryside to live in the city. When passed over for a promised promotion by a friend of his boss’s son, Shing vows to get Shrimpy a place in a prestigious school and the opportunity to befriend the rich. However, both father and son become misfits when engaging with a different social class, exacerbated by their differences in lifestyle and values.

With a first-rate script by Cheng Kang and direction by Ng Wui, the film is a piercing portrayal of class snobbery. Rooted in ‘the desire to build a better future for the child’, the father instils in the boy the concept of the ‘upper class’ in which all successes hinge upon having the right friends and social connections. The film is also astonishingly prophetic considering how ‘monster parents’ nowadays go to extreme lengths for their children.

As a child star, Yuen Siu-fai originally signed with Evergreen Motion Picture Company but also appeared in productions by Union Film. Naturally expressive, the young Yuen had an endearing screen presence during his teething period. He played to perfection a rural boy trying to adjust to city life while dealing with his father’s unpredictable temperaments. As the innocent Shrimpy who is disheartened on multiple fronts, Yuen owned the screen and touched people’s hearts with his authentic performance. 

In addition to capturing Grandview Studio, the film is also a rare gem for the cameo appearances by famous actors including Pak Yin, Ng Cho-fan and Siu Yin Fei. Sharing a genuine camaraderie on-screen with Yuen Siu-fai is Yuen Siu-hoi, his elder brother in real life, as Keung the caring neighbour whose mother is played by Wong Man-lei.

# Post-screening talk with Prof Yuen Siu-fai and Sam Ho

The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter. The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.