The Movie Emperor (2023)

Lau Wai-Chi is a Hong Kong movie star with legions of devoted fans and a constant eye on his competition. His fame has drawn him inside an ever-tighter circle, where all he can do is keep his body perfect and worry what other star is snagging an award or a big role that should be his. Vulnerable and sensing the need for a new image, Lau is persuaded to take the starring role in a humble indie drama where the protagonist is a village pig farmer. Lau and the director agree this foray into miserabilist cinema will be just what foreign film festivals crave. As Lau begins the painstaking process of learning how to play the role convincingly, we witness a series of pitch-perfect take-downs of film industry pretension.