Time Still Turns the Pages (Chinese: 年少日記) is a 2023 Hong Kong drama film directed by Nick Cheuk and produced by Derek Yee, with Cheuk also serving as the writer and co-editor, and marking his directorial debut as part of the First Feature Film Initiative. Starring Siuyea Lo and Ronald Cheng, the film explores themes of education in Hong Kong and follows a secondary school teacher (Lo) who confronts a childhood trauma caused by academic pressure from his father (Cheng) while helping a suicidal student.
Cheuk wrote the screenplay in response to student suicides in Hong Kong in 2015, drawing heavily on the real-life experience of a friend who took his own life and who was also a mutual friend of Siuyea Lo. The project was greenlit in 2019 as part of the First Feature Film Initiative, with rewrites occurring in 2020 and principal photography taking place in 2021, primarily at Chiu Yang Por Yen Primary School.
The film opens with a child named Cheng Yau-kit, who aspires to become a teacher, sitting despairingly on the rooftop of a condo.
In modern times, a secondary school teacher named Cheng punishes a hearing-impaired student, Vincent, for pushing another student down the staircase. When Cheng attempts to counsel him, Vincent scoffs and tells Cheng to handle his own divorce issues first. Cheng then discovers a suicide note in the classroom rubbish bin. He reports it to the headmaster, but the vice principal advises him to ignore it to avoid affecting the students' preparation for the upcoming university entrance exams. In desperation, Cheng asks Ka-yee, the class monitor, to help identify students who may be contemplating suicide.
The film then transitions to a flashback: Cheng Yau-kit, the son of renowned barrister Cheng Chi-hung, is a well-educated but academically challenged schoolboy. His younger brother, Cheng Yau-chun, is a prodigy who excels in both academics and music. Yau-kit tries hard to improve his grades, even starting a diary to appease his father after hearing a respected educator advise Yau-chun that diary writing can aid language learning. Despite his efforts, Yau-kit's grades remain poor, frustrating his father, who blames Yau-kit for not working hard enough and for spending too much time reading manga, leading him to punish Yau-kit by throwing away his manga books. Despite their conflicts, Chi-hung promises Yau-kit a trip to Disneyland in California if he can rank in the top 15 in class, based on Yau-kit's mother Heidi's suggestion. However, Yau-kit's performance worsens, and he ranks second to last, forcing him to repeat the grade. Enraged, Yau-kit is severely beaten by his father, while Yau-chun quietly studies nearby.
To cheer up his brother, Yau-chun takes Yau-kit to buy toys and play on the rooftop, but they are caught and Heidi scolds Yau-kit only. When Yau-kit anticipates punishment from his father, he is surprised by Chi-hung's calm demeanor, as Chi-hung claims he has given up on Yau-kit and will no longer waste effort guiding him. Realising his family is going to California without him, Yau-kit tries to hug Yau-chun, who responds casually, saying he will bring souvenirs back. Believing his family would be happier without him, Yau-kit commits suicide. After receiving the news, the family is devastated. Chi-hung refuses to reveal the truth and pretends Yau-kit died from an illness, while he sinks into depression and guilt. Heidi, overwhelmed by grief, leaves the family. Yau-chun is traumatised and feels regretful for not reaching out to Yau-kit, focusing solely on appeasing his parents and teachers while looking down on Yau-kit due to the academically inclined environment he grew up in. This leads him to become rebellious and decide to fulfill Yau-kit's dream of becoming a teacher.
Back in the present, it is revealed that the teacher Cheng is actually Yau-chun, who has not communicated with his father for a long time, blaming him for his brother's death. He finally visits Chi-hung, who is now terminally ill. The two embrace, crying together as they express their shared guilt and regret over Yau-kit's death, which has haunted them for years. After Chi-hung passes away soon afterwards, Yau-chun writes down his story in Yau-kit's diary and gives it to his estranged wife, Sherry, explaining his panic upon learning of her pregnancy and hoping she can share their story through her radio drama program. On graduation day, Cheng leaves his phone number for his students and bids them farewell, ultimately receiving a text message from the student who wrote the suicide note, seeking counseling from him.
Cast
Siuyea Lo as Mr. Cheng / Cheng Yau-chun, a traumatised secondary school teacher who grew up in a strict household with overwhelming academic pressure[1]
Curtis Ho and Yukki Tai as younger versions of Cheng Yau-chun[2]
Henick Chou as Vincent, a hearing-impaired student of Mr. Cheng who was bullied at school[4]
Sabrina Ng as Wong Ka-yee, the monitor of Mr. Cheng's class[2]
Also appearing in the film are Rachel Leung as Zoey, the secretary of Cheng Chi-hung; Luna Shaw as Sister Ha, a social worker; Koyi Mak as Miss Leung, the Cheng siblings' class teacher; and Joey Leung as the vice principal.[2]Jessica Chan and Peter Chan cameo as the piano teachers of Cheng Yau-kit.[5]
Production
Development
Director and writer Nick Cheuk originally penned the screenplay in 2015, based on the death of a close friend and university classmate.[6][7] He later made revisions to the script, altering certain aspects of his friend's experiences to delve into the concerning phenomenon of student suicides in Hong Kong.[8][9] He completed the first draft in 2019, initially titled Suicide Note.[6] During the same year, he applied for and received funding from the Hong Kong Film Development Council's First Feature Film Initiative.[10] He dedicated two years to rewriting and fine-tuning the script. In 2020, Derek Yee returned to Hong Kong after filming in Mongolia and joined Cheuk in revising the script.[8] Cheuk retitled the film as Time Still Turns the Pages, drawing inspiration from the lyrics of Avenged Sevenfold's "So Far Away".[8] Movie critic and secondary school teacher Chan Kwong-lung was also invited to be a consultant for the film.[11] After filming, Cheuk and Keith Chan, both first-time film editors, spent an additional two years on post-production.[6] An official trailer was released on 27 September 2023.[12]
Casting
In September 2021, shortly after finishing the screenplay draft, Cheuk approached Siuyea Lo, a mutual friend of his and his deceased friend, and offered him the role of Mr. Cheng.[13] The original setting of Mr. Cheng was actually 40 years old and spoke in a much more mature manner. Lo accepted the role on the spot after reading the script, and Cheuk amended the settings for him.[14] Besides, Cheuk handpicked comedian actor Ronald Cheng for the role of a stubborn and abusive father, after seeing Louis Cheung's performance in The Narrow Road and wanting to bring out the emotional side of actors who appear comedic.[15] Cheuk also chose Henick Chou to portray Vincent, a character based on his own experiences growing up at school, as he found Chou's previous portrayals of slacker youths very convincing.[16] Child actor Sean Wong won his role through an audition.[17]
Time Still Turns the Pages had its world premiere in the Asian New Talent section of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival on 11 June 2023.[20][21] The film was also screened as the opening film of 20th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival on 13 October 2023,[22] and in World Focus section of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival.[23][24] It was released theatrically on 16 November 2023 in Hong Kong.[25]
Reception
Box office
Time Still Turns the Pages initially grossed approximately 1.93 million Hong Kong dollars during its first weekend, not making it to the top three at the box office.[26] After receiving positive reviews from critics, the film saw a significant boost and climbed to HK$4.15million, surpassing Napoleon, Trolls Band Together, Sound of Freedom, and local production In Broad Daylight, securing the top position at the box office.[26][27] By the fourth weekend, the film had grossed over HK$16million,[28] and surpassed HK$25million by the eighth weekend,[29] making it the second highest-grossing film of 2023 in Hong Kong.[30] As of 19 February 2024, the film's total gross stood at over HK$27million.[31] It was the second highest-grossing Hong Kong film domestically in 2023.[7]
Critical response
Phuong Le of The Guardian gave the film 3/5 stars, praising director Nick Cheuk's sensitive portrayal of taboo topics like childhood abuse and academic pressure, as the film skillfully explored a debilitating cycle of trauma through the intertwined stories of a high school teacher and a young boy.[32] Edmund Lee of South China Morning Post gave the film 4/5 stars and lauded the film for its powerful emotional impact, crediting Siuyea Lo's impressive performance as Mr. Cheng and the execution of a clever plot twist that effectively convey layers of emotion within the film's poignant and heavy-hearted tone.[4] Lee also ranked the film second out of the thirty seven Hong Kong films released in 2023.[33] Mátin Cheung of The Student gave the film 4/5 stars and acknowledged Cheuk's thoughtful utilization of a complex narrative structure to reveal the harsh realities of Hong Kong's ailing education system and suffocating household atmosphere, while simultaneously challenging audience biases, showcasing the talent of the new generation of Hong Kong filmmakers.[34]
Ho Kai-lam, writing for Wen Wei Po, commended the film for its coherent storytelling, emotional depth, and thought-provoking exploration of parental ignorance and the overwhelming pursuit of honor, all delivered through the exceptional performances from the cast.[35] Estella Huang of Mirror Media perceived the film as a profound and emotionally resonant work, exploring melancholic childhoods and the limitations of education with depth and nuance through the adept navigation of Cheuk.[36]
^陳廣隆 (20 November 2023). "《年少日記》︰在結構上用巧的遺憾回憶". Spill Hong Kong (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
