Nick Cheung’s Peg O’ My Heart 張家輝《贖夢》: Nightmares Unravel

Press Release from Illume Films, With Notes from Fête Chinoise Editorial Team
Directed & Co-Written by Nick Cheung 張家輝
Starring: Nick Cheung 張家輝, Fala Chen 陳法拉, Terrance Lau 劉俊謙

In Cinemas June 13

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Interview with Actor-Director Nick Cheung

Interviewer: Deborah Lau-Yu
This interview is conducted in Cantonese.

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Synopsis

Dr. Man, an unorthodox psychiatrist, takes on a new patient, Choi. Choi is afraid to go to sleep and struggles to differentiate between dreams and reality, Man is determined to get to the bottom of his story. As Choi’s story unfolds, Man begins to experience disturbing and perplexing dreams himself. Are his night terrors a result of repressed memories, or is there a price to pay for uncovering the ghosts hidden in Choi’s closet?

Director: Nick Cheung

Writers: Nick Cheung, Ryan Ling

Starring: Nick Cheung, Fala Chen, Terrance Lau, Rebecca Li, Ben Yuen, Natalie Hsu, and more

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Director’s Statement

“Dreaming isn’t exclusive to me; it's a shared human experience.

I'm not someone who dreams a lot. Perhaps because I'm an actor, I try hard to remember every dream, so that when I wake up, I can reminiscence the plot and imagery of the dream.

You might not always have pleasant dreams, because there are so many types of dreams. There are nonsensical ones where you fly or crawl around; scenes in black and white or technicolor; sometimes people talk without moving their mouths, leaving you puzzled about what they're saying. We dream about rapid falls, people falling off buildings, winning the lottery, killing or being killed, getting into fights, and even deities and spirits. Nightmares, pleasant dreams, erotic dreams, sleep-talking, sleep-walking, prophetic dreams – the list goes on and on.

Among them was a series of dream I had about getting into a fight, where I attempted an experiment.Perhaps during that time, I was practicing boxing for a new film. I was always in a confrontational mood, so I found myself looking for fights even in my dreams. In the dream, the other person's face was blurry, but I launched the attack first, I punched his face over and over. However, I never felt any adrenaline rush when my fist hit the person’s cheeks, everything else felt real though.

When I woke up, I felt somewhat disgruntled.

A few weeks later, that fight scene once again appeared in my dream. How could I manifest the sense of pleasure in a dream? I was aware that I was dreaming the same dream, but I also reminded myself that this time I must feel the sensation of hitting someone. I adjusted my stance, tightened my fists, concentrated on my hands, and threw a heavy punch. Just as last time, I couldn’t feel a thing! When I woke up, I was still dissatisfied, yet determined that next time I must achieve it!

In the end, after having three of those fighting dreams, I realized I couldn't change the rules of dreams, and since then, I never had the same dream again.

I had another intriguing personal experience three or four years ago. I would intermittently dream of my wife demanding a divorce and leaving me. Despite my earnest pleas, she stood firm with her decisions. I cried incessantly, asking for reasons, but she never gave me an answer!

When I woke up, I knew clearly that it was just a dream and didn't take it to heart. However, when the dream recurred again, I woke up feeling resentful towards my wife. Although I didn’t cry, I started feeling upset.

By the third time, I was crying hysterically as if it was the worst nightmare. And by the fourth time, upon waking up, I found myself crying in reality. Tears gushed from my eyes as I sobbed loudly, calling out for my wife who was not by my side at the time. She could only respond with a chuckle.

I couldn't accept that my dreams were toying with me, but after much thought, I finally found an answer for a meticulous weirdo like me.

It all stemmed from about a year ago when I encountered a philandering tycoon. We treated each other with respect whenever we met, but he always expressed admirations for my wife and praised her past performances in TV dramas.

"A philandering tycoon!" Everybody knew that about him. Little did I know that his praise for my wife had triggered my latent anxiety! He might be sincere with his words, but he might also have other devious motives!

Once I found the source of this dream, I never had that dream again. I can assure you that this tycoon will never meet my wife in his lifetime, regardless of her age. 

From these two series of dreams, I've concluded that: “What you think is what you dream.”

Dreams always mercilessly reflect your suppressed emotions and deepest secrets. You cannot share them with others. While good dreams happen, if you frequently have dreams that are sad, dark, remorseful, or scary, it might reflect something deeper within you. To redeem yourself, you have to confront the roots of the problem. Of course, there are also dreams that cannot be remembered afterwards...

No matter what, I always have a humble heart when it comes to dreams. They remind me the stress and anxiety I’m bearing; they take me on adventures that I cannot experience in real life. In a way, ‘dreams’ are my friends.

This film is about two tragedies that are inspired by my personal dreams. It reflects my belief on life's interplay of karma and misfortune through thriller and mystery. I hope that this film serves as a cautionary message! As you watch, what thoughts will be stirred in your mind?

May you live a life with no regrets.”

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Peg O’ My Heart Official Trailer

In Cantonese, with English and Chinese Subtitles

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