Director's Works
Kayan9896, Lost in the Rain The 11th (Max Wu)
Director Max Wu, also known as THE11TH, is deeply influenced by both Chinese and Western cultures. He has collaborated with a wide range of well-known artists in Hong Kong and internationally, bringing fresh perspectives to the entertainment scene across fashion campaigns, commercials, short documentaries, and music videos.
In 2023, he founded THE BASTARDS, a multidisciplinary production and post-production company based in Hong Kong, which actively produces striking visuals for commercials, music videos, and short films. Drawing on his cross-cultural background, Max aims to infuse an international sensibility into his work. Alongside directing, he places strong emphasis on editing and sound design, using them as integral creative tools that give his projects a distinctive edge.
One of his notable works, SORRY, was nominated for Best Music Video at the WHATSGOOD Music Awards in Hong Kong in 2022. In 2024, his project GET DOWN won Best Editing at the Taiwan Golden Wolf Music Video Awards.
Hong Kong cinema of the 1980s and 1990s was my first introduction to film and has remained a core influence on how I understand visual storytelling. The atmosphere, texture, and emotional weight of that period shaped my taste from a young age and ultimately led me into the industry. As I began working professionally, I became aware of how rarely contemporary Hong Kong cinema returns to that sensibility, and how difficult it has become to access that visual language, particularly when shooting on film.
This music video was an opportunity to reconnect with those early influences. Shooting on film was a deliberate choice, allowing the images to carry grain, depth, and imperfection in a way that aligns with the cinema that originally inspired me. Working with the team in the UK made this approach possible and gave the project the space to pursue mood and emotion over surface polish.
The narrative is intentionally simple and centred on revenge. Pain and heartbreak are universal experiences, and the story follows how grief can calcify into violence. Rather than presenting revenge as release or justice, the video treats it as something that ultimately harms the person who seeks it. The emotional resolution comes not through retaliation, but through self-awareness and inner shift.
