Cageman (1992)

In Hong Kong’s squalid tenements, low-income ‘cagemen’ live in bunk beds separated by chicken wire, forming an intimate camaraderie within their cramped shared space. When news of a planned eviction arrives, the media, police, lawyers and politicians, each with their own agendas, descend upon the community. The residents must decide whether to relent or resist.

Inspired by a fatal fire in a cage home in 1990, Jacob Cheung casts a sympathetic eye on the plight of those most impacted by the city’s corrupt bureaucracy and capitalism, while recognising their humour and resilience.