Exploding a seemingly simple premise – a nameless “cowboy” courier (Spencer Nakasako) arrives in pre-Handover Hong Kong to deliver a mysterious briefcase to a mercurial Mob boss whilst becoming entangled with his femme fatale mistress (Cora Miao) – independent filmmaking legend Wayne Wang’s Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive barrels through inspired genre deconstruction, guerrilla docu-fiction and fierce political jeremiad, all with a keen sense of humor and one of the richest visual palettes of the 1990s.
Tracking the Man-with-no-name’s increasingly byzantine mission across every level of the city’s social strata, we’re introduced to fortune families, cabdrivers, hustlers, butchers and more, each punctuating the high-octane Neo-noir narrative with instantly memorable monologues that capture a now-distant era in Hong Kong history.
Multifaceted but never incoherent Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive is among Wang’s most unique and bracing contributions to the independent film cannon. Much-loved on the 90s international film festival circuit but unjustly overlooked in North America, this is a maverick tour de force ripe for rediscovery.
Yu Su Born in Kaifeng and currently based in London, Yu Su is a multifaceted artist known for her work as a musician, DJ, and creative chef. Her music uniquely blends dubby textures with left-field dance elements. She has released tracks on renowned labels, including the UK's Technicolor, the Netherlands' Music from Memory, and China's Bie Records, earning critical acclaim and a nomination for the prestigious Polaris Prize in Canada. Yu has collaborated with notable artists such as John Carroll Kirby and Duval Timothy, and she is recognized for her remixes of tracks for well-known bands like Parquet Courts and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Her intuitive DJ sets have garnered international attention, leading to performances at prominent clubs and festivals, including Dekmantel, Glastonbury, Boiler Room, iii Points, Nuits Sonores, Rainbow Disco Club, Panorama Bar, and Phonox. Yu transforms dancefloors into ethereal spaces where rhythms stretch and dissolve, fluidly moving between experimental pulses and powerful currents to create an unforced, transformative experience. Her second album Foundry comes out May 1st, 2026 on Short Span Records featuring Seefeel, Dip in the pool and Memotone.
