Dealer/Healer

Lau Ching-Wan stars in this dramatization of the incredible real-life story of Peter Chan Shun-chi, a former Triad member and drug addict who went on to be awarded for his tireless efforts as a substance abuse counselor. Starting in the sixties, this sprawling epic chronicles Chan Wa and his childhood friends growing up together in an impoverished section of Hong Kong. Seemingly fated to a life of crime, Chan ends up a dealer and then an addict, even exploiting his own girlfriend to support his habit. He eventually finds himself caught in a web of deceit, desperation, and betrayal, forced to work with the police after his own brothers betray him. This tale of corruption and redemption masterfully recreates an all but forgotten underbelly of Hong Kong, so gritty you can almost feel the sweltering dust gather on the back of your neck. Q&A with director Lawrence Lau.

Presented with the support of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York