ROARING BACK TO THE TOP IN LION ROCK
《獅子山上》展現受挫生命的堅毅
HONG KONG is a perpetually changing city, but one landmark standing tall above the city remains an icon of the people: Lion Rock. Following the success of the 1970s anthology series Below the Lion Rock – which told the story of working class Hongkongers and the
fighting spirit which rebuilt the city after the Second
World War – the 140-million-year-old mountain became a cultural symbol.
It’s no surprise, then, that climbing Lion Rock was Lai Chi-wai’s ultimate goal. Lai was one of Asia’s leading rock climbers, until a motorcycle accident left him with paraplegia in 2011. But rather than give up on his dream, Lai devised a plan to literally pull himself
up Lion Rock on the fifth anniversary of his accident.
Lion Rock is a dramatisation of this journey.
With Lai himself serving as a co-producer, the
film may read like another feel-good story about an
athlete overcoming impossible odds. But director Nick Leung sets Lion Rock apart from its genre counterparts by delving deeper – introducing a
series of flashbacks and hallucinatory sequences to reflect Lai’s traumatised psyche.
Leung’s directorial voice comes through loud and clear in delightfully eccentric touches. The tone, recognisable from his 2015 vampire satire Get Outta Here, balances surprisingly comedic moments with the warmth and sentiment you would expect.
Playing Lai is Alex Lam (the son of pop legend George Lam), who gives a career-best performance conveying Lai’s tenacity as well as his frustrations. His resilience in the face of mounting challenges is a testament to the Lion Rock spirit; the spirit of our city.