Peter Yung’s debut feature intricately portrays the relationships between drug dealers, police, and informants. Inspector Chan (Pai Ying) persuades drug lord Hung’s assistant, Tam (Sek Kin), to cooperate and gather evidence against Hung. However, the operation is sabotaged, complicating matters further. The film’s solid and detailed depiction of investigations and drug trafficking, combined with documentary techniques–handheld cinematography, on-location shooting capturing a lost Hong Kong of the 1970s–distinguishes it among Hong Kong’s first New Wave cinema. Filled with memorable scenes, particularly police undercover operations in street-level surveillance and Inspector Chan’s solitary mountain journeys to observe birds at dawn.

THE SYSTEM will be preceded by the short film SIGHTNOTSEEING (Director: Sheungman Yim. 11 mins, Hong Kong-UK, 2026.)

The screening will be introduced by Prof. Chris Berry.

Notes by M+ Restored

Screening as part of East Asia Film Festival Ireland 2026