Director: SCUD
Cast: Byron Pang, Thomas Price
Hong Kong / 2010 / 96 mins / Gay, Drama, Romance, Sexually Explicit
In Cantonese with English subtitles
27 / 9 /2022 (Tue) 19:40 – Broadway Cinematheque
8 / 10 / 2022 (Sat) 19:50 – Broadway Cinematheque
20 / 9 / 2022 (Tue) 19:30 – Golden Scene Cinema
* Official Selection – 60th Berlinale Panorama Competition, 46th Chicago International Film Festival
* Director in attendance
Synopsis:
“Amphetamine” is often regarded as Scud’s most accomplished film with an exquisite visual style and touching performances from the two leading actors. It explores class differences in a city, in which money and success play an important role in one’s value system. When swimming instructor Kafka meets David, it is lust at first sight. While David is an out and successful financial hot shot, Kafka is insecure, poor and confused with his sexual identity. Kafka also has a drug addiction problem, which adds another layer to the story and reflects gay culture during that particular era. All these themes are wrapped up in a homoerotic aesthetic which helped to raise Scud into cult status with many loyal followers. The film’s executive producer is veteran filmmaker Lawrence Lau, who contributed to the international success of “Amphetamine.”
Born in China, SCUD had a 20 years IT career, founded a public listed company and travelled 80 countries before settling in Sydney. Realizing that he had fulfilled the dream of others but not his own, he returned to Hong Kong to start Artwalker, producing acclaimed films such as the Berlinale official selection “Amphetamine” (2009) and “Voyage” (2012). SCUD was the tribute honoree and the first Q-Hugo Award recipient in the 49th Chicago International Film Festival and received an “Artistic Achievement Award” for his “Edgy, Tender and Bold Filmmaking”. SCUD announced his intended retirement in 2022, after making his 10th and last film “Naked Nations”.
