Kenneth Bi (RICE RHAPSODY, Festival 2005) brings us his latest project, THE DRUMMER, a film starring Hong Kong stars Jaycee Chan (Jackie’s son), Angelica Lee, and Tony Leung Ka-Fai (Big Tony). Part spiritual and part gangster drama, THE DRUMMER is at turns a story about strained father-son relations, triad liaisons, and of course, the art of drumming.
Chan the younger leads as a smart-mouthed youth named Sid. An aspiring rock star, Sid stumbles dangerously into deep trouble, as he is not only caught romancing the wife of powerful triad boss Stephen Ma, but also insults him with choice offensive words. Ma calls upon Sid’s father Kwan (Tony Leung Ka Fai), to cut off Sid’s dearly treasured hands and have them handed back to him. Like father, like son, Sid and Kwan share a violent relationship with each other, so we’re almost led to believe Kwan will take away his own son’s hands—but instead Sid (and his hands) are spared as he is taken away from fast-paced Hong Kong to the tranquil hills of Taiwan, accompanied by Kwan’s right-hand man (Roy Cheung). From that point on, Sid’s brash behavior collides head-on with a group of Zen drummers (Taiwanese drum group U Theater) as he tries to force his way into becoming a member of the troupe. Sid initially butts heads with one of the troupe’s members, Hong Dou (Angelica Lee), only to become enamored with her later on. As Sid is in for a rude awakening, his journey from a bad-boy drummer to a spiritual performer becomes one of the film’s highlights.
Although the gangster genre is nothing new to the film scene in Hong Kong, the themes of drumming and spiritualism bring a unique look into a film about a young man’s enlightenment into becoming a better person for himself and his family. One person to keep an eye on is lead Jaycee Chan. His past films, 2 YOUNG and INVISIBLE TARGET, are a string of efforts proving Chan’s growth as an actor in Hong Kong.
—Kanara Ty, 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Kenneth Bi will be in attendance.

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