The Lyricist Wannabe tells the story of aspiring lyricist and high-school student Law Wing-sze (Chung Suet Ying), who works night and day to master the art of writing Cantopop. Determined to pursue her dreams, she tries everything to make a name for herself, yet in a world where dreams are often detached from reality, nothing seems to go her way. Despite a series of failures, she has no regrets about following her heart.

As Norris Wong’s second feature-length film following her debut My Prince Edward (2019), The Lyricist Wannabe is inspired by Wong’s life. A comedy about the pain of lost ideals, it provides a personal yet distinctly topical perspective on the theme of growing up. The lyrics of the film’s soundtrack were composed by Wong herself.

The screening on 3 March will be followed by a post-screening talk by Norris Wong, Chung Suet-ying, and former University of Hong Kong Associate Professor Ng Chun-hung. The talk will be moderated by M+ Curator-at-large Li Cheuk-to and conducted in Cantonese.

Norris Wong (b. 1987, Hong Kong) is a director, screenwriter, novelist, and lyricist. One year after completing a master’s degree in film production at Hong Kong Baptist University, she produced the short film Fall (2013). She went on to write the script for numerous productions, including the TV series The Borderline (2013), Margaret & David: Green Bean (2016), and The Gutter (2020). Her first feature-length film My Prince Edward (2019) has won numerous awards, including the 4th First Feature Film Initiative (Higher Education Institution Group), Best New Director at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, and Best Screenplay at the 26th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.