The latest hard-boiled crime drama from acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To (P.T.U., MIFF 2003) wowed audiences in its Official Selection slot at Cannes this year.

'When the embarrassing defeat of a police battalion by five robbers is broadcast on TV, the credibility of the police force drops to a nadir. Soon the whereabouts of the robbers is discovered and the building they occupy becomes besieged by thousands of policemen. To beat the media at its own game, Inspector Rebecca decides to turn the stakeout into a breaking news show by sending officers into the building with wireless cameras atop their helmets. To her surprise, the robbers also start using the media to turn against the police. A media warfare soon erupts amidst a gory battle of life and death.

'To renew the great tradition of Hong Kong cop movies, Johnnie To has added an extra ingredient to the genre: the media. 'The people who run police departments know that the fight against crime can't just rely on the law and repressive measures,' says the director. 'The fight also has to be transmitted by a well-conceived media campaign that allows them to gain public support. - Cannes Film Festival

D/P Johnnie To S Chan Hing-Kai, Yip Tin Shing WS Media Asia Distribution L Cantonese w/English subtitles TD 35mm/Col/2004/100mins

Johnnie To was born in Hong Kong in 1955. Films include: The Mad Monk (1993), Running Out of Time (1999), Running on Karma (MIFF 2004).