In the opening exposition of the film—the third instalment of the Overheard series—Hong Kong’s New Territories Small House Policy is to be terminated. The law grants New Territories indigenous villagers and their male descendants plots of land to build houses. Unscrupulous property developers and wealthy villagers, and tycoons plot and battle to swoop in and profit from a project in which title grants are gathered for taller apartments to be built.

Hong Kong’s policymaking on urban planning, land development, and housing is associated with broader issues beyond the conservation of country parks and brownfield development. Besides conflicting interests, the New Territories Small House Policy is intertwined with complex political problems. Overheard 3 brings to light a sensitive subject matter and, in particular, expounds on a critical social issue of concern as a mainstream film that resonates with the audience with humour and a suspenseful plot.

The screening on 29 April will be followed by a post-screening talk in Cantonese with cultural studies scholar and organic farm founder Dr. Chow Sze Chung. The talk will be moderated by M+ Curator-at-large of Hong Kong Film and Media Li Cheuk-to.

Alan Mak (b. 1965, Hong Kong) is a director, scriptwriter, and producer. Upon graduation from the School of Drama in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1990, he worked as an assistant director before making his directorial debut Nude Fear (1998). He met Andrew Lau as cinematographer in the shooting of Wicked City (1992). The directing duo continued with two more hits Initial D (2005) and Confession of Pain (2006) after the Infernal Affairs trilogy. Mak shared writing and directing credits with Felix Chong after the trilogy and their most successful collaborations are Overheard (2009), Overheard 2 (2011) and Overheard 3 (2014). His most recent work includes Integrity (2019).

Felix Chong (b. 1968, Hong Kong) is a film director, screenwriter, and actor. With several prestigious awards to his name, Chong is one of the most celebrated screenwriters in Hong Kong, known for the Infernal Affairs trilogy (2002–2003), the Overheard series (2009–2014), and Project Gutenberg (2018). He is set to write and direct the upcoming film Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong .