''The Narrow Road'' ( zh, 窄路微塵) is a 2022 Hong Kong

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

and the second full-length feature directed by Lam Sum. Set during the early days of the

Covid pandemic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fev ...

, it tells the story of Chak (

Louis Cheung Louis Cheung (; born 11 January 1980) is a Hong Kong singer, songwriter, and actor. He is an alumnus of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in acting. His first play was in 1997, and he has performed in a total of more than 20 ...

) who struggles to keep his cleaning company afloat. In the midst of the challenge, he develops a bond with a newly hired cleaner Candy ( Angela Yuen) who is his neighbour and also a single mother. The film had its world premiere at the

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...

on 19 August 2022.

Plot

In the early days of the pandemic, Chak, struggling to keep his cleaning company afloat, hires single mother Candy. But as the chemistry between them develops, Candy finds it hard to abandon the survival tactics of deception she’s always needed to get by.

Cast

as Chak (Chan Hon-fat) * Angela Yuen as Candy * Patra Au as Wong Ying, Chak’s mother * Chu Pak Hong as a car mechanic/friend of Chak’s * Chu Pak Him as a car mechanic/friend of Chak’s * Tung On-na as Chu, Candy’s daughter

Reception

Writing for ''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...

'', Anna Smith called the film "a thought-provoking insight into Hong Kong lockdown life, with terrific performances and a tangible atmosphere." At ''

Screen International ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company which also owned '' Broadcast''. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involv ...

'', Fionnuala Halligan described ''The Narrow Road'' as a "tender, thoughtful film" that "deliver a subtle and affecting portrait of a difficult time in a unique place", and "a love song to he director'scity and the low-paid labour on which it was founded".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * 2022 films 2022 drama films Hong Kong drama films 2020s Hong Kong films 2020s Cantonese-language films Films about the COVID-19 pandemic {{2020s-drama-film-stub