Special Report: We're Nothing at All (2026)

0:04 Hold your ears, folks.

0:07 It's showtime. People pay good money to see this movie. When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, hot popcorn and no monsters in the projection booth.

0:17 Everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring.

0:20 Turn it off.

0:25 Turn it off. Turn it off.

0:51 This is the scene of the explosion on February 14th. A double-decker bus suddenly exploded.

0:55 We believe it was a premeditated accident.

0:58 The killer is one of the passengers.

1:03 I want to know when there will be a new release. We're going to file a complaint. They always say there's a complaint.

1:09 But we never know who's going to file a complaint. The road is too rough, or maybe you're too used to it. It's not too late to ask for help. Why are you in trouble? The fate is too rough, why are you not trusting me?

1:22 Who are they?

1:23 How can they hurt me? I'll wear your name on my eyes.

1:27 You won the game, but you lost everything. Isn't this a very open and free society?

1:33 You're such an idiot.

1:42 You're such an idiot.

1:44 You're such an idiot. You're such an idiot.

1:48 You're such an idiot.

2:09 Hey folks, welcome to a special episode of The Projection Booth.

2:20 I'm your host, Mike White. On this episode, I am talking to director Herman Yao and stars Anson Kong and Anson Bean all about their new film, Where Nothing At All. It is a Hong Kong film that released in April. It is making its way around. I highly recommend it. Check it out and enjoy this interview. Mr. Yao, can I start with you? Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Because I've been a fan of yours for decades now.

2:48 40 years already in the film industry. And yes, I'm Herman Yao from Hong Kong. And I started the film in the early 1980s. And then I started my first film as a director in 1986, and then up to now, it's 40, 40 years. And I'm so glad that I can be in this, in the film industry. And because this is a work I like, and I think I'm a lucky one. And I, after all, thanks all the audience that spent time watching my movies.

3:28 I remember even watching like Taxi Hunter way back when. And yeah, it's just amazing. I can't even imagine, how the industry has changed for you over these last, even just the last few decades.

3:41 Yeah, I think that's the, we're influenced by the taste of the audience and also the trend, how the aesthetics, because from time to time, the taste or the audience, what they like or what they dislike, keep changing. And then, because most of my movies, maybe all of my movies are commercial films. And then, behind rationale that we have to follow the taste or the aesthetics of the audience.

4:14 And also the tempo of every movie. Most of the critics say that Hong Kong movies are one of the kind of movies, regionalized, that's with the fastest pace and then with during the 1980s or 1990s, in one movie, the content will be sufficient for two Hollywood movies, something like that. But recently, it seems like the pace or the tempo of Hong Kong movies is a little slower than before. And then, like the actors, they are not talking the speed as fast as before. And then the gap, the pause time between lines, a little longer than before.

5:04 And then, of course, because of the downtrend of the film industry, now we don't have so many action films or so big production with big stars and then big action, big scenes, something like that. But in another sense, I think the quality for the recent Hong Kong movies, according to my taste as a Hong Kong movie fan, I think it's very much better than before, no matter technical-wise or content-wise.

5:33 And how did you gentlemen get involved in the project? Hi, I'm Anson Kong. I'm from Hong Kong.

5:37 I play fight the role in We Are Under Van Dong.

5:41 And how I'm.

5:41 Getting the role is, three years ago, I started a dinner with director first. And then director talked to me. He want me to play fight this role. And first of all, he come to me, didn't have the full script at all. And he just told me the idea. And I think this character's fight is so challenging. So that's why I picked this job.

6:11 And sir? Hello, everyone.

6:12 I'm Anson Bean from Hong Kong. I played a role of Hige in We're Nothing at All. And I'm very excited to be a part of this project. I'm very grateful as I feel like this is a very powerful movie. The script is really empowering as it feels like a warm embrace for people that's going through a tough time.

6:31 And it also shows a lot of societal issues, social issues. And yeah, I feel like it's a very brave and bold movie. So I'm really proud and honored to be a part of this project.

6:42 What are some of the biggest challenges that you guys had making this movie, putting this together?

6:47 I think the challenge that I faced is a little different from them because the biggest challenge is that the outcome of this movie would be offensive to any group in the society. That's what I... To be honest, I'm afraid of this.

7:03 My company may be afraid because I'm one of the members of the Hong Kong boy band called Mirror.

7:09 It's kind of an idol group.

7:11 So my company may be afraid my fans will affect my image.

7:17 Is it still pretty common for actors in movies to also be singers? Because I remember way back in the day, Jackie, Chow Yun-fat. Does that trend still continue to the 2020s?

7:30 I think it's not the same. Now, actors like these two agents, they will accept some roles that in the past, the names that you mentioned, Charlie Fett or Jackie Chan, they won't take that role. But now, after the millennium, the consideration is very different from those old actors or actresses.

7:59 One of the main challenges would be the acting. I feel like Ike is a very challenging character to play.

8:05 And some.

8:07 I feel like there's this little thing about the... Because I've got to slim down a lot. So I actually had to spend a long time to cut down on muscle mass.

8:18 And also, I feel like....

8:21 I also feel like I've spent a lot of time learning how to paint and doing all those.

8:26 Because I haven't been a waiter.

8:27 So.

8:28 Yeah, those were the main challenges.

8:30 But I'm really glad we made it. How did you build up that friendship? Because it feels very natural that you two are together on screen.

8:38 Well, the work before on the TV series is to play the ice hockey. And then we come from the same competition. So we know each other before, but not that close. Before this movie, the director arranged us to have a dinner.

8:54 Yeah.

8:55 And then you see the movie. The ending, we boomed the bus. Actually, we were shooting on the first day. And then, after that day, we started to become close.

9:08 Yeah, because we share a similar background and we have similar interests. It was very easy for us to be close. And I feel like for the love scenes especially, Director Herman gave us a very clear guidance.

9:19 So, it felt very smooth. As it was definitely a challenge for us, as it's our first time.

9:24 And....

9:26 He gave us very clear guidelines, like an action film. How to kiss, where do we touch, and when do we pause, when do we change. Then it made it so easy so that we could focus on our emotions and the delivery. So yeah, that's how we filmed those more intimate scenes.

9:44 And how to build a relationship for us.

9:46 Yeah, I've really got to thank AK because on the first day on the bus, he just said, okay, we just got to do this.

9:52 No matter how hard it is, we're just going to give our all.

9:55 So during the slapping scene at the tunnel, we actually slapped each other.

9:59 Yeah.

9:59 We were like actually giving our all and we got our faces swollen at the end. Very passionate team. Did you secretly enjoy getting to slap each other?

10:08 Yes.

10:09 Because we need it. We need it for the acting.

10:12 Yeah.

10:13 So somehow, yeah, we like it. So that's how we got to the opening. Yeah. You said that you're a little afraid as far as how the audiences are going to react to this. Have you gotten to see this with an audience yet?

10:25 You mean yesterday? Yeah. We had a screening last night in the USA. In one show and the second show with the audience in Italy, Woodinay. And then for me, two times. If I take the show in Woodinay, I think they really like the movie because the capping, the applause, it's What I felt, then I also believe my feeling that they really like it. In Hong Kong, instantly from after the show, because I went to greet the audience and the after-schooling Q & A, the response was really good.

11:07 Because to me, in my experience, the audience really concentrates on the movies and asking their questions. A lot like... what you are doing recently, or Ensign Kong, you are so and so, a lot like this. They really talk or ask about very detailed parts of the movie.

11:29 It looks fantastic. Can you tell me how it was working with your cinematographer?

11:33 Actually, for We Are Nothing At All, it's not the same cinematographer, but we are in the same team because the head of that department for most of my movie was another one, but he is very old at the time, and he passed away this year, early this year. And then, we are looking at all, relatively, the cinematography was done by relatively new, the new generation of the film industry. Derek, now, for my recent movie, the latest one, not finished yet, but we finished the actual filming and then We started the post-Buddhism just before I came to America. That Darius Yeo is really the contemporary generation. And I think for the Hong Kong film industry, because there's a wide gap between the young and the old, and then we don't

12:34 have the middle part. Now, for my situation, when I am capable, I would like to work with those young filmmakers more. I don't mean I ignore those old filmmakers because they are my colleagues. More than colleagues, we are brothers because we went through 30 or 40 movies together. Like the GAFA, we've been working together for more than 30 years. So it's not so easy for me to say goodbye. It's not so easy. And on the other hand, they can still deliver the job in a very good manner.

13:15 to me with the outcome of high quality. That's why I still want to work together with them. But on the same time, I just try my best to work with the younger generation in the film industry.

13:30 What's next for the film and for you, gentlemen?

13:33 I will do the concert when I'm back to Hong Kong because my girl Mira will do the concert on December in Hong Kong.

13:40 When I'm back to Hong Kong, I need a bit more rehearsal. Yeah, and I.

13:44 I started my independent singer journey this year, so I'm going to be focusing on my hip-hop R & B music.

13:50 I'll also be doing my first theatrical production. It's a Halloween, horror, comedy kind of show.

13:56 So it's really challenging as an actor. But it's also really fun because it's a live performance, so I'm really excited for it.

14:05 And Director Yao?

14:07 When I go back to Hong Kong, I have to finish the post-production of the previous movie. And then... right after Hong Kong will have the starting of another film, the actual filming. And then it will probably be launched during the Chinese New Year's in 2027. So it's in a rush.

14:30 How long did it take for this film to come together?

14:33 You mean, we had nothing at all for the script, three months, and then the pre-production, six weeks, and then the actual filming. Within one month, and then 16 actual filming days, and then the post-professional is about a little more than two months.

14:51 It looks fantastic. It was a great movie, and thank you so much, gentlemen, for your time. It was very nice talking with you. Appreciate it.

14:58 Thank you very much.

14:59 Nice to meet you. Thank you. Thank you.

15:42 We'll be right back. Hey, what are you doing out here?

16:15 You're thinking about everything, aren't you?

16:17 I know it's crazy, but just don't think of it like that.

16:19 Nothing has to mean anything.

16:20 Come on, let's get back inside.

16:47 Thank you.

20:13 I just can't wait to fall back It's time to tell you I don't know anything