Hand Rolled Cigarette

Chan Kin-Long's 2021 Hong Kong film follows a Chinese former soldier discharged from the British army. He now lives by small jobs; at Chungking Mansions he meets a young South Asian man on the run, and it turns out both have crossed the same gang boss. The film's subject is who identity belongs to in Hong Kong. The lead served in the British army before the handover and was then counted as belonging nowhere; the younger man was born in the city but is not counted as local. Being left outside is their common ground. Gordon Lam leads opposite Bipin Karma. Chungking Mansions is used as a real location and the unseen part of the city builds the texture. The action is harsh and shot close. Who it's for: those who like contemporary Hong Kong cinema and narratives about minorities. Who it's not for: viewers uncomfortable with graphic violence; the final section is long and merciless.