Exodus

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Movie: Exodus
Chinese: 出埃及記
Director: Ho-Cheung Pang
Writer: Goo-Bi GC , Ho-Cheung Pang
Producer: Ho-Cheung Pang
Cinematographer Charlie Lam
Release Date: September 13, 2007
Runtime: 94 Min.
Language: Cantonese
Country: Hong Kong / China

Plot

Tsim Kin Yip has been an ordinary beat cop for more than two decades, failing all the promotion interviews he's tried over the years. Against these setbacks, he's grateful that his loyal wife, Cheung Fong, has always stood by his side to support him. Tsim's mother-in-law, on the other hand, finds him useless, and her endless complaining wears down the poor couple. Cheung's mother often advises her daughter to find a better man and re-marry.

One afternoon, Tsim is on duty in the police station's report room. KWan Ping Man, a suspect accused of peeping in a women's washroom, is giving a statement. Kwan denies the charge but tells Tsim the big secret he overheard in the washroom. He claims that there's a global women's organisation plotting to kill all the men in the world. And it's such a huge secret that ladies only discuss it in women's washrooms, where no men would go. That's possibly why women spend more time in the toilet than men. Kwan says he went into the women's washroom to uncover more evidence of the planned mass murder of men. Tsim finds the story ridiculous but Kwan stands by his statement. The cop has no choice but to write down what he's told.

That night, Tsim's colleagues from the police station phone to say the statement has gone missing. He returns to the station to take another report, but this time Kwan has switched his story and pleads guilty. It seems he has something to hide. Tsim's suspicions are arouse and he decides to do some investigating.

Director's Satement

Back in high school, I came across a tidbit of news which reports that studies have shown all men on this planet are being slowly murdered by women. This report created in me an unknown fear for the opposite sex. For a long period of time, it was something I believed in without prejudice, I even secretly collected statistics on how often the girls in my school use the bathroom. Why do they always have to go together? And why do they always spend more time in there than boys? What do they talk about in there? And why is it that they always come out looking rejuvenated? Just because they put on make up? Or did they cook up some exhilarating conspiracies?

It was Friedrich Torberg who said it is our belief that we all carry with us a great mission, we are meant to do one important thing in our lives. But of course we know this mission is seldom fulfilled. Alas, not to many of us are Moses, although among those who journey on the great Exodus, there were many who thought they were leaders of the JEws.

Days before our principle shooting began, the governor of Hong Kong unleashed his re-election campaign slogan "I Will get the job done!", which I feel reflects the mindset of our movie's main character, since it also happens to be about the birth of a careerist. While it is prudent of us to criticize the action of a careerist, we have to ask ourselves honestly, when individual idealism veered into a collision course with ideologies of the establishment, are we ready to be sacrificed as martyrs? Indeed, saving the is a daunting task, minding our own ability and business might seem like a compromise, but then again, it may very well be enlightenment gained through hindsight. -- Ho-Cheung Pang