Amphetamine
Kafka, a straight fitness trainer meets Daniel, a passionate executive who happens to be gay. The young men fatefully fall in love and believe that their love can bridge anything, even their difference in sexuality and Kafka’s drug habits. Daniel does not regret his love for Kafka, who tries to love him back against his nature. But a dreadful memory from Kafka’s past render it most difficult. It turns out that their addiction to love proves more fatal than the drugs they use to explore the boundaries of their friendship.
Running Time: 97mins
Written, produced and directed by SCUD
Consulting Director Lawrence Lau/ Cinematography by Charlie Lam/ Art Direction & Costume Design by Jack Chan/ Music by Yu Yat Yiu & Ho Shan/ Edited by Heiward Mak
Main Cast
Byron Pang/ Thomas Price/ Winnie Leung/ Linda So/ Simon Tam
- 60th Berlinale Panorama – Official Selection
- 24th Teddy Award – Runner Up
- 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam– Official Selection and Focus Director
- 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival – Closing Film
- 25th Torino GLBT Film Festival – Competition
- 46th Chicago International Film Festival – Official Selection
- 12th Rio International Film Festival – Official Selection
- 30th Hawaii International Film Festival – Official Selection
- 30th Hong Kong Film Awards – Best New Actor Nomination
- 33rd Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival– Official Selection and Focus DirectorAmphetamine is the second of the Trilogy, exploring the limits of passion. It was an official selection by the Berlin International Film Festival of the year and nominated for Teddy Award at the Berlinale. It was also the closing film of the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival, and one of the leading men, Byron Pang, was nominated the Best New Actor in the Hong Kong Film Award. The film met controversy again, despite the fame, when the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority demanded 5 spots of the film to be cut before public screening. Scud protested the decision and wrote to the Chief Executive. Eventually the shots were blackened-out but with the soundtrack intact.
“Kafka is a fitness trainer, martial artist and delivery boy working multiple jobs to take care of his mother. His life has never been one where everything neatly falls into place: his father died by suicide when Kafka was young, and most recently, he broke up with his girlfriend. But perhaps meeting the charming young executive Daniel will be the lucky charm that turns the tables.
Once more employing a cast of absurdly beautiful men in cleanly elegant spaces with a fierce, camp attitude, in Amphetamine Hong Kong artist provocateur Scud explores the possibilities of love between people who desperately need it, crave it, believe in it, but actually may not really be capable of it. Kafka and Daniel throw themselves into each other, in the hope of manifesting a love that will heal their wounds from lonesome pasts and free their doubtful minds. Instead, they risk becoming another more dangerous drug to one another.
One of Scud’s most affecting films, Amphetamine is inspired by a close friend who nearly lost his life, and is dedicated to people who find no reason to live other than the love they might find in others. But is this love a true love?
– kijA”
Information Sources: IFFR 2024
More：Byron Pang / Winnie Leung / Simon Tam
