Bringing Hong Kong & Asian cinema magic to your screens to Australia

Synopsis

Middle-aged widow Mei Heung (starring Sylvia CHANG) has gone through countless sleepless nights since the death of her husband, Bill (starring Simon YAM). One day, she finds a key among the items that Bill left behind, leading her to his secret neon workshop and meet the young apprentice, Leo (starring Henick CHOU).  She learns from Leo that Bill had an unfulfilled last wish: to recreate a demolished legendary neon sign.  With Leo’s help, Mei-heung tries to uncover the story behind the sign and learns the craft of blowing neon lights in hopes of fulfilling her deceased husband's last wish with her own hands.  Along the way, Mei-heung reminisces about her beautiful encounters with Bill and unearths pieces of Bill's past as if they are the last consolation left by him.  Meanwhile, Mei-heung’s daughter, Prism (starring Cecilia CHOI), plans to leave Hong Kong with her fiancé, but she is unable to break the news to Mei-heung.

As clues of the legendary neon sign gradually emerge, the secrets that Mei-heung couldn't face are about to be revealed...

故事大綱

香港曾以滿街霓虹燈聞名世界,卻隨著時代變遷,昔日的燦爛繁華似乎已成往事。妻子難以接受丈夫離世,終日在家整理其遺物。身邊所有人都叫她別再執著,卻屢勸無效。一日,她發現一條開啟亡夫的秘密霓虹燈工場的鎖匙,並在那裡遇見他的青年徒弟,得悉亡夫一直希望重造一個已拆除的神秘霓虹燈牌。盼能完成其遺願的妻子,在過程中逐漸了解每個昔日燈牌的故事。張艾嘉、任達華相隔39年後再度再合作,攜手新演員周漢寧、蔡思韵,講述一段屬於香港的獨特歷史。片中的霓虹燈與最近的清拆工程不謀而合。不同的意境符號貫穿全片,暗喻著這座城市之餘,也對照著力挽狂瀾的香港人,正如導演所言:雖然是空執著,然而,人生也許要有執著才有重量。

Movie Info

  • Anastasia TSANG

    曾憲寧

  • Saville CHAN

    陳心遙

  • Sylvia CHANG, Simon YAM, Cecilia CHOI, Henick CHOU, Ben YUEN

    張艾嘉,任達華,蔡思韻,周漢寧,袁富華

  • Cantonese with English Subtitling

    粵語, 中英字幕

  • 103 mins

  • 金馬獎 (2022)

    • Won Best Leading Actress (Sylvia Chang)

    • 獲獎 最佳女主角(張艾嘉)

    • Nominated Best Visual Effects (Dennis Yeung)

    • 提名 最佳視覺效果(楊敏傑)

  • 香港電影編劇家協會大獎 (2022)

    • Nominated Best Film Character Award (Sylvia Chang, Henick Chou)

    • 提名 最佳電影角色獎(張艾嘉、周漢寧)

  • 香港電影金像獎 (2023)

    • Nominated Best Actress (Sylvia Chang)

    • 提名 最佳女主角(張艾嘉)

    • Nominated Best New Performer (Henick Chou)

    • 提名 最佳新演員(周漢寧)

  • 香港電影評論學會大獎 (2023)

    • Nominated Best Actress (Sylvia Chang)

    • 提名 最佳女主角(張艾嘉)

  • 亞洲電影大獎 (2023)

    • Nominated Best Actress (Sylvia Chang)

    • 提名 最佳女主角(張艾嘉)

  • 東京國際電影節 (2022)

    • "Asian Future" Competition Section

    • 「亞洲未來」單元

  • 香港亞洲電影節 (2022)

    • Closing Film

    • 閉幕電影

  • 曼谷東盟電影節 (2022)

    • Hong Kong Focus Section

    • 「香港電影焦點」單元

  • 鹿特丹國際電影節 (2023)

    • European Premiere, Harbour Section

    • 海港單元

  • 烏甸尼遠東電影節 (2023)

    • Competition Film

    • 競賽電影

  • 新加坡華語電影節 2023

    • "Chinese Panorama" Section

    • 「華夏風情畫」單元

導演:曾憲寧

Director: Anastasia TSANG

Director’s Statement

“Wife” and “Mother” are two identities that summarize the fate of millions of women.  When these two identities come to an end, what remains for the rest of their lives?  Maternal love is often highly praised, yet women who have contributed most of their lives to the family can only face the pain and loneliness of widowhood when their partners pass away and their children leave their home...

Widowhood is ultimately about loss.  Like a widow, Hong Kong has been in a state of loss in recent years.  Hong Kong’s blooming neon lights have always been an icon of its economic prosperity.  They lined the city's streets during the economic boom of the 1980’s, lighting up a "Pearl of the Orient" that enchanted the whole world.  As an iconic imagery of Hong Kong, neon lights represented the city's most prosperous era, and its fading glow seems like a metaphor of the city's fate.  Like HongKongers who tend to hang on to the good old days, the widow in the film desperately wants to retrieve her husband's past.  Even when it seems to be futilely stubborn, sometimes we need to insist in order to exist.

導演的話

妻子與母親,兩個身份,總結了萬千女人的命運。當這兩個身份任務完結,還有甚麽能承載女人的餘生?社會對母愛有最崇高的歌頌,諷刺的是,中老年女性為丈夫、兒女貢獻大半生,隨著伴侶逝去,子女成長,忍受喪偶傷痛同時陷入身份危機,卻鮮有人關注她們的處境。

喪偶,說的其實是關於失去。香港近年也總是在不斷失去,處境正好與寡婦相類。霓虹,自戰後隨移民南下,一直是本地經濟發展的徽章。在各業興旺的八十年代,滿街密佈的燦爛霓虹,點亮這顆迷倒世界的「東方之珠」。作為香港的城巿意象,霓虹代表著昔日最鼎盛的繁華,它逐漸消失的風景也似在暗喻一座城巿的命運。寡婦拚命地想要找回亡夫的過去,香港人力挽狂瀾要緊抓往日的美好時光,似是空執著;然而,人生,也許需要有所執著才有重量。

張艾嘉 飾 江美香

Sylvia Chang as
Mei Heung

張艾嘉是華語影壇的傳奇女演員及導演,曾三度榮獲金馬獎最佳女主角,並憑《相愛相親》榮獲香港電影金像獎最佳導演及編劇等多項榮譽。她在2022年憑《燈火闌珊》再度奪得金馬獎最佳女主角殊榮,並提名第16屆亞洲電影大獎最佳女主角。

江美香是一名務實且堅強的中年婦女,從小承擔家庭責任,嫁給了霓虹燈工匠鑣叔。沙士期間,霓虹燈行業衰退,夫妻關係因此受到影響。鑣叔去世後,美香陷入深深的哀傷,卻意外發現丈夫的未完成霓虹燈夢想,於是決心與徒弟Leo一起完成這個遺願,並在過程中重新認識丈夫與他們的婚姻,最終走出喪夫的陰霾。

Sylvia Chang is a legendary actress and director in Chinese cinema, having won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress three times. She also received Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay for Love Education. In 2022, she won Best Leading Actress at the Golden Horse Awards for her performance in A Light Never Goes Out and was nominated for Best Actress at the 16th Asian Film Awards.

Mei Heung, a pragmatic and resilient middle-aged woman. After marrying neon sign craftsman Bill, their relationship becomes strained during the SARS outbreak as the neon sign business declines. Following Bill's sudden death, Mei Heung discovers his unfinished neon project and, with the help of his apprentice Leo, sets out to complete it, leading her to re-examine her marriage and find closure.

任達華 飾 楊燦鑣

Simon Yam as Bill

任達華是香港影壇的資深男演員,以其多樣化的角色著稱,曾多次入圍香港電影金像獎最佳男主角,最終憑《歲月神偷》獲得此殊榮。他憑《天水圍的夜與霧》、《黑社會》、《PTU》等多部作品展現了他的演技深度,是備受認可的影帝。

在《燈火闌珊》中,任達華飾演的鑣叔是一位堅持傳統手藝的霓虹燈工匠。少年時隨父來港後,他在霓虹廠學徒,因其出色的技藝而成為師傳的繼承人。鑣叔以匠人精神一絲不苟地製作霓虹燈,即使面對行業沒落和政府的規管,也不願轉行或妥協。他與妻子美香因經濟壓力爭吵,甚至在受傷後也堅持不肯關掉工廠。最終,在迫於現實和家人的壓力下,他關閉了工廠,轉行當的士司機,但心裡始終放不下這份手藝。鑣叔在暗地裡重啟工廠並收了徒弟Leo,繼續做熟客生意,直到突發心臟病去世。

Simon Yam, a seasoned actor in Hong Kong cinema, is known for his versatility, having been nominated multiple times for Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards, eventually winning for Echoes of the Rainbow. His performances in PTUElection, and Night and Fog showcase his deep acting skills and have earned him widespread acclaim.

In A Light Never Goes Out, Simon plays Bill, a traditional neon sign craftsman who learned the trade as an apprentice in Hong Kong and later became a master. His commitment to his craft is unwavering, even as the neon sign industry declines due to government regulations and the rise of LED lights. Bill refuses to switch careers or modernize his business, leading to tensions with his wife, Mei Heung. Despite eventually closing the factory and becoming a taxi driver, Bill secretly reopens it with the help of his apprentice Leo. His passion for his work defines him until the end, when he tragically dies of a heart attack while still working to maintain his neon legacy.

蔡思韻 飾 彩虹

Cecilia Choi as Prism

蔡思韻是香港備受矚目的年輕女演員,曾憑《幻愛》獲得香港電影評論學會大獎最佳女演員,並在第39屆香港電影金像獎獲得最佳女主角提名,展現出色的演技。

在《燈火闌珊》中,蔡思韻飾演的彩虹是美香和鑣叔的獨生女。她原本對藝術充滿熱情,但因父親霓虹燈生意衰退而放棄藝術夢,轉而修讀建築學,承擔起家庭經濟重任。父親去世後,她陷入情感麻木的狀態,一方面努力安撫母親的喪夫之痛,另一方面也在準備與男友移民澳洲。母親迷上完成父親的遺願重造霓虹燈,讓彩虹感到困惑與妒忌,逐漸激化了她對母親的愛恨交織。

Cecilia Choi is a rising star in Hong Kong cinema, known for her nuanced performances. She won the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress for her role in Beyond the Dream and was also nominated for Best Actress at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards.

In A Light Never Goes Out, Cecilia plays Prism, the only daughter of Mei Heung and Bill. Prism gave up her passion for art to pursue architecture when her father’s neon sign business struggled, taking on the responsibility of supporting the family. After her father’s sudden death, Prism finds herself emotionally numb, torn between supporting her grieving mother and pursuing her own plans to move to Australia with her boyfriend. Her frustration deepens as her mother becomes obsessed with completing Bill’s final neon sign project.

周漢寧 飾 Leo

Henick CHOU as Leo

周漢寧是香港年輕演員,以電視劇《教束》的表現嶄露頭角,並憑《燈火闌珊》獲提名第41屆香港電影金像獎最佳新演員。

在《燈火闌珊》中,Leo 自小與外婆親近,但在父母離異後,因學業成績不如哥哥,他深感自卑,並且受到母親的冷落。最終,因逃學被趕出家門。偶然間,他遇到霓虹師傅鑣叔,對霓虹工藝產生興趣,並拜其為師。在鑣叔的指導下,他重新獲得自信,但在鑣叔突然去世後,Leo 面臨再次被驅逐的危機,於是撒謊說鑣叔的遺願是重製一個霓虹燈牌,並在過程中找回了自己的熱情與希望。

Henick Chou is a rising star in Hong Kong, known for his role in Limited Education (教束) and his nomination for Best New Performer at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards for A Light Never Goes Out.

In A Light Never Goes Out, Leo grows up in the shadow of his academically successful brother, feeling inadequate and eventually estranged from his family. After being kicked out of his home, he stumbles upon Bill, a neon sign craftsman, and becomes fascinated with the craft. Bill takes Leo under his wing, helping him regain a sense of purpose. However, after Bill’s sudden death, Leo faces homelessness once again and lies to Mei Heung about Bill’s last wish to remake a neon sign. Through this journey, Leo rediscovers his passion and self-worth.

袁富華 飾 阿黃

Ben YUEN as
Master Wong

袁富華是香港資深演員,憑藉電影《翠絲》的演出榮獲第55屆金馬獎及第38屆香港電影金像獎最佳男配角。他的表演經歷涵蓋電影和舞台劇,屢次獲得提名與肯定。

在《燈火闌珊》中,阿黃是一位霓虹燈招牌繪圖師,年輕時為追求藝術與父母決裂,從此成為專業繪圖員。他與已故的霓虹師傅鑣叔多年來合作無間,在妻子病危的最後時光中,阿黃努力滿足她的心願,並與美香和Leo一起完成鑣叔的遺願重製霓虹燈牌。

Ben Yuen is a veteran actor in Hong Kong, who gained wide recognition for his performance in Tracey, winning Best Supporting Actor at the 55th Golden Horse Awards and the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards. His extensive career spans both film and stage, where he has been frequently nominated and celebrated for his work.

In A Light Never Goes Out, Yuen plays Master Wong, a neon sign draftsman who severed ties with his parents in his youth to pursue art. Over the years, he built a career as a professional draftsman and collaborated closely with Bill, the neon sign master. As Wong faces the end of his wife's life, he dedicates himself to fulfilling her last wish. After Bill's sudden death, he teams up with Mei Heung and Leo to complete Bill’s final project of recreating a neon sign, honoring their friend's memory.