Stand Up Story

From a young age, Mancer always knew that his father Wah was different from other adults: his speech is illogical, he has slow comprehension and he is easily deceived by others. When his mother ran away, it was up to Mancer to become his intellectually disabled father’s caregiver.

Entering a stand up comedy competition solely because he needs the prize money, Mancer finds he loves making people laugh — and gradually figures out that his best jokes come out of hardship: the ridicule he received at school, his difficulties at work, his struggles in caring for his father, and even the worldwide pandemic. If misery is the best source of comedy after all, he should be laughing all the way to the bank.

Siu-hin Ng and Ben Suen star as a graduate hoping to become a stand-up comedian, and his father who has a mild intellectual disability. This gentle Hong Kong comedy drama teases humour out of hardship with heartfelt performances from the leads, while steering away from sentimentality.

Edmund Lee South China Morning Post

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