A young boy ascends a flight of stairs to a building’s rooftop, looks ahead with both fear and determination before jumping off the edge.

This shocking scene is the opening sequence of “Time still turns the pages”, giving audiences a strong indication of the Hong Kong film’s subject matter.

Profound and poignant, this film is the directorial debut of Nick Cheuk. If this is the level of talent one can expect from the new director, then it stands to say this won’t be his only critically-acclaimed movie.

Cheng (Siuyea Lo) is a secondary school teacher. His world is jolted when he finds a suicide note in the dustbin of his classroom, a couple of months before an important exam.

Painful memories from his own past resurface, one full of moments marred by parental abuse and the pressure to excel academically.

As Cheng flips through the pages of a diary penned by Eli (Sean Wong), the audience sees how the young student endures daily punishment from his father, as well as constant comparison to his academically successful younger brother.

Feeling alienated and depressed, his loneliness is mirrored in the recently-divorced Cheng. Through a series of flashbacks, the connection between Cheng and Eli is gradually revealed.

Scenes in which a student shows her self-harm scars to Cheng and of Eli handing over a feather duster to his father to be beaten, are particularly haunting.

The absence of dramatic sound effects or heavily embellished visuals render the scenes unfolding more realistic, but no less terrifying or heart-breaking.

As for the acting, Lo carries his character’s past trauma and pain convincingly. Quiet moments when he’s staring into his empty living room or sobbing while reliving his childhood will tug at your heart strings.

The scene stealer here, though, is Wong as Eli. At such a young age, it’s amazing how he handles every emotional scene the scene demands of him like a seasoned actor. The way Eli tries his best to carry the weight placed upon his small shoulders will likely crush those watching as well.

Ronald Cheng, most often associated with comedic characters, is the abusive father in Eli’s life. His sternness and demand for perfection puts a huge strain on the family, and Ronald plays the part so well that you’ll wince whenever he gives his son the death stare or hits him.

Perhaps one of the reasons why the film is so moving is because Cheuk, who also wrote the screenplay, drew from his own experience. He himself lost a close friend and university mate to suicide.

Other than portraying his friend’s story in some way through the script, he also made alterations to the plot to delve into the rising cases of student suicides in Hong Kong. This is conveyed through how Cheng resolves to help his students when he suspects one of them is suicidal.

Overall, “Time still turns the pages” is an excellent film that daringly tackles the issues of child abuse and youth suicide so well, it will make ponder these issues long after leaving the theatre.

‘Time still turns the pages’ is now showing in selected theatres nationwide.