19 November 2025
GQ Local Heroes：Juno Mak
Juno Mak began his career as a singer but has gradually transformed into one of Hong Kong's most iconic and distinctive creators. His directorial debut, "Rigor Mortis", made a remarkable impact in the film industry and won numerous international awards, while his eight-year project, "Sons of the Neon Night", has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival. He remains committed to alternative creations, breaking down the boundaries between art and commerce to showcase Hong Kong cinema's unique brilliance on the international stage.
In Causeway Bay, the snow falls incessantly, and the swirling flakes scatter across the familiar yet strange streets of Hong Kong, as though narrating the beauty and unpredictability of fate.
In Juno Mak’s cinematic world, there are no purely heroic figures or wholly malevolent characters. This artist, who wears multiple hats as a singer, director, and creator, sits before us and shares his philosophy: “In the realm of film, there is a clear distinction between heroes and villains.” His gaze carries a near-obsessive determination as he continues, “Yet in my films, characters often inhabit a vast grey area, as I believe this is closer to the complexities of real life.”
“Sons of the Neon Night”, a project that took eight years to realise, is not only a highlight of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival but also the pinnacle of Juno Mak’s aesthetic of ambiguity. The film has long become an urban legend as its 8-year wait heightened anticipation among the film’s stars, including Takeshi Kaneshiro, Louis Koo, Sean Lau, and Tony Leung, and Hong Kong’s film fanatics.
“True romance can only be fully highlighted in a world of tragedy,” Juno cites “Romeo and Juliet” to illustrate how tragedy enhances the poignancy of romance. In his view, the characters in “Sons of the Neon Night”, whether deemed heroic or villainous, are imbued with a profound sense of powerlessness. This sense of powerlessness reflects a collective sentiment in contemporary Hong Kong. During the eight-year production, Hong Kong underwent massive transformations due to the pandemic and social movements. Juno admits, “The final product had to meet various stakeholders’ demands, go through the film approval process, and satisfy audience expectations, making it a challenging endeavour.” Despite these difficulties, he was determined to complete the project, as he felt it was both a responsibility and a mission.
In the realm of film, there is a clear distinction between heroes and villains. Yet in my films, characters often inhabit a vast grey area, as I believe this is closer to the complexities of real life.
The production of “Sons of the Neon Night” is considered one of the most complicated projects in the history of Hong Kong cinema. The crew even constructed a 60,000-square-foot, one-to-one replica of Causeway Bay’s streets to capture the explosion scenes perfectly.
In “Sons of the Neon Night”, Juno deliberately makes Hong Kong unrecognisable. The streets of Causeway Bay he created are perpetually blanketed in snow, transforming Hong Kong from a vibrant, familiar metropolis into a desolate modern wasteland covered in ice and snow.
“Hong Kong is a city warm with personal touch, yet it can also be incredibly cold,” Juno believes this paradox serves as a source of inspiration for his creativity. He dislikes presenting the city’s local culture in a straightforward manner, opting instead to alter familiar cultural symbols into something unrecognisable. “For example, the pawn shop in “Sons of the Neon Night” appears to be a typical establishment for pawning gold watches and blankets, yet it is involved in murder-for-hire operations. Or how the recognisable streets of Causeway Bay have turned into a strange, snow-covered, desolate city.”
This creative approach allows “Sons of the Neon Night” to transcend traditional crime dramas, becoming a modern fable imbued with symbolic meaning. The Hong Kong depicted in the film serves as both a tangible urban space and a metaphorical stage riddled with universal dilemmas.
In Juno Mak’s creative philosophy, leaving “negative space” occupies an important position. He believes, “Film creation should include negative space, allowing the audience to imagine and participate in the creative process.” For him, these spaces are not only an artistic choice but also a sign of respect for the audience. “Each viewer has different ages, experiences, and mindsets, leading to varied interpretations of the same work, and these interpretations fill in the gaps, presenting a multifaceted piece.”
Creators need to learn to step back and let go. Once a work is completed, it has its own life and destiny; even the creator should not control its development.
From his debut as a singer to his startling success with “Rigor Mortis” and the eight-year journey of “Sons of the Neon Night”, Juno’s creative path has not been smooth. However, he has now entered a more transcendent realm of creativity. To the next generation of young creators, he advises, “Creators need to learn to step back and let go. Once a work is completed, it has its own life and destiny; even the creator should not control its development.” He believes that once a work is made public, regardless of the praise or criticism it receives, creators should not become overly attached. “It is important to understand that once a work is born, its existence in the world will outlast the creator themselves.”
The title “Sons of the Neon Night” comes from the tactical philosophy in “The Art of War” by Sunzi: “Be swift as the wind, steady as the forest, fierce as fire, immovable as a mountain.” When the last snowflake falls in the film, and the final gunshot fades into silence, Juno leaves the audience with a world that offers no simple answers. In this Hong Kong fable filled with grey areas, we witness not a traditional narrative of clear loyalties but rather the struggles and choices of each character in the face of fate.
“When we were young, we often first encountered a somewhat simplistic worldview marked by clear distinctions between good and evil. But as you grow up, you come to understand that such binaries can’t exist in the real world.” Juno’s works resonate so deeply because he dares to embrace this complexity.
As I left the interview room, Juno’s words lingered in my mind. Perhaps, regardless of the final evaluations “Sons of the Neon Night” receives, it has already fulfilled Mak’s creative intention—to seek romance in a world of tragedy, to uncover the brilliance of humanity within grey areas, and to invite audiences to participate in this dialogue about destiny through the art of leaving negative spaces. And the snow in Causeway Bay will continue to fall in this utopia crafted by Juno Mak…
Photography: Ivan Wong
Hair: Powder Room
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