Time Still Turns the Pages

Time Still Turns the Pages is a 2023 Hong Kong drama film directed by Nick Cheuk and produced by Derek Yee, with Cheuk also writing the story and co-editing the film. The film stars Siuyea Lo and Ronald Cheng in lead roles, with Lo portraying a secondary school teacher who recalls his childhood abuses and trauma while helping a suicidal student.

The film premiered at Shanghai International Film Festival on 11 June 2023. It also opened the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival on 13 October 2023, before being released theatrically on 16 November. The film received five and twelve nominations respectively in the 60th Golden Horse Awards and 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards.

Cast

 * Siuyea Lo as Mr. Cheng / Cheng Yau-chun: a traumatised secondary school teacher who had witnessed his brother's suicide due to academic pressure.
 * Curtis Ho and Yukki Tai as younger versions of Cheng Yau Chun
 * Ronald Cheng as Cheng Chi-hung: a senior counsel and a stern and abusive father.
 * Sean Wong as Eli Cheng Yau-kit: an academically incompetent schoolboy from a strict, upper-middle-class family.
 * Rosa Maria Velasco as Heidi Cheng: the Cheng siblings' long-suffering mother from her abusive husband.
 * Hanna Chan as Sherry Lam: a voice actress and the wife of Mr. Cheng.
 * Nancy Kwai as a younger version of Sherry
 * Henick Chou as Vincent: a hearing-impaired student bullied at school.
 * Sabrina Ng as Wong Ka-Yee: the monitor of Mr. Cheng's class.

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. Jessica Chan and Peter Chan cameo as the piano teachers of Cheng Yau-kit.

Development
Director and writer Nick Cheuk originally penned the screenplay in 2015, based on the death of a close friend and university classmate. 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. He completed the first draft in 2019, initially titled "Suicide Note". During the same year, he applied for and received funding from the Hong Kong Film Development Council's "First Feature Film Initiative". 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. Cheuk retitled the film as "Time Still Turns the Pages", drawing inspiration from the lyrics of Avenged Sevenfold's "So Far Away". Movie critic and secondary school teacher Chan Kwong-lung was also invited to be a consultant for the film. After filming, Cheuk and Keith Chan, both first-time film editors, spent an additional two years on post-production. An official trailer was released on 27 September 2023.

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. 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. 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. 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. Child actor Sean Wong won his role through an audition.

Filming
Principal photography began in 2021 and wrapped up in 19 days. Most of the school scenes were filmed at Chiu Yang Por Yen Primary School, and the farewell scene between Cheng and Sherry was filmed at an art store in Sham Shui Po.

Release
Time Still Turns the Pages premiered in the Asian New Talent section of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival on 11 June 2023. The film also screened as the opening film of Hong Kong Asian Film Festival on 13 October 2023, and was selected in World Focus section of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival. The film was released theatrically on 16 November 2023 in Hong Kong.

Box office
Time Still Turns the Pages initially grossed approximately HK$1.93 million during its first weekend, not making it to the top three at the box office. 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. By the fourth weekend, the film had grossed over HK$16million, and surpassed HK$25million by the eighth weekend, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2023 in Hong Kong. As of 19 February 2024, the film's total gross stood at over HK$27million.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.