Grappling with the still taboo issue of Hong Kongers’ mental health struggles, Nick Cheuk’s stirring drama contemplates a debilitating cycle of trauma. Startled by the discovery of a suicide note written by an anonymous student, high school teacher Mr Cheng (Lo Chun-yip) is taken back to a painful past marred by parental abuse and academic pressure. As Cheng flips through a diary penned by a young boy named Eli (Sean Wong Tsz-lok), the latter’s quiet sufferings are juxtaposed with the teacher’s difficult present.
Enduring daily comparison to his academically successful brother as well as corporal punishment from his violent father, Eli is alienated from his own family, a paralysing solitude that mirrors Cheng’s own since his recent divorce. Through a subtle and effective use of flashbacks, the connection between Eli and Cheng is gradually revealed. In addition to drawing a link between the neglect that festers in school and at home, Cheuk’s treatment of childhood abuse is especially sensitive, illustrating how a casual, cruel remark can sting just as much as a brutal beating. Tsz-lok’s inquisitive performance also emphasises what many parents fail to acknowledge: that children are just as perceptive, if not more, than adults.
Looking towards the light, Cheuk’s profound film seeks a way out of the dark tunnel. Eli has chosen to lock his misery inside his diary, yet his tragic end leaves a black void that continues to confound attempts made by others at joy and fulfilment. But as Cheng searches for the writer of the suicide note, his efforts not only provide a necessary blueprint for a teacher’s care but also suggest a liberating path from family demons.
• Time Still Turns the Pages is released on 24 November in UK cinemas
• In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
