Papa (2024 film)

Papa (Chinese: 爸爸) is a 2024 Hong Kong family drama film directed and written by Philip Yung. Distributed by Golden Scene, it is based on the real-life 2010 Heung Wo Street Murder, in which a mentally unstable son killed his mother and sister, leaving his father as the sole survivor. With Sean Lau, Jo Koo, Dylan So, and Lainey Hung portraying the family, the film is set in the aftermath of the murder and follows the father (Lau) as he navigates survivor guilt and seeks reconciliation with his son (So).

Philip Yung was initially attached to the adaptation of the Heung Wo Street Murder as the screenwriter in 2011, interviewing the surviving father Kan Fuk-kui in person, and beginning to write the screenplay in 2012. Development stalled when the director dropped out of the project after 2013. Yung later bought the screenplay and took on the role of director after filming Port of Call (2015). Pre-production and rewrites continued until 2022, when investment was secured. Principal photography commenced in March 2023, shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, primarily in To Kwa Wan, with additional filming in Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po.

Papa had its world premiere in the main competition at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival on 31 October 2024, followed by a theatrical release in Hong Kong on 5 December. The film became the ninth highest-grossing Hong Kong film of 2024 and received generally positive reviews from critics, particularly for Sean Lau's performance and the emotional depth, but its fragmented narrative elicited both praise and criticism. It garnered various accolades, including 11 nominations in the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards, and Lau won a Hong Kong Film Award, a Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and an Asian Film Award for his performance.