APM - Asian Project Market

2023 Project

Logline

Desire unrelentingly consumes Yong Cheng and Gao Wei, and they revel in this, until everything begins to fall apart...

Synopsis

Clout-chasing YouTubers, Yong Cheng and Gao Wei, offend a local street gang in Japan while filming a provocative video. Their high school classmate, Ozaki, comes to their rescue and treats them to a dish of mysterious meat. After consuming the meat, they are given heightened sensory perception and no longer require sleep nor crave food, which allows their careers to peak.
For generations, the Ozaki clan has been supplying Kappa meat to the chosen ones. The temporary enhancements you get after eating cooked Kappa meat make it highly addictive, but side effects soon kick in, making you feel hollow and sluggish. If Kappa meat is eaten raw, the side effects are much more punishing, and you mutate into a Kappa. This is how the Ozaki clan maintain a constant supply of Kappa meat.
Now addicted to Kappa meat, Gao Wei quits his job and joins Ozaki’s business, helping him search for potential Kappa candidates among the homeless. He even lays his hands on his girlfriend, and his best friend, Yong Cheng. Yong Cheng’s ex-wife, Yan Ting, threatens Ozaki, demanding that he turn Yong Cheng back into a human; not realizing it is a trap and Ozaki plans to turn Yan Ting and their daughter into Kappa through feasting on Yong Cheng’s flesh.
After saving his wife and daughter, Yong Cheng drifts away into the ocean, holding on to happy memories of his family, before losing consciousness. His bald Kappa head disappears beneath the surface of the sea.

Director's Statement

In Asia, it is believed that whatever your body lacks can be made up for with the food you eat. This is why, over the centuries, people have developed all sorts of unusual recipes, including shark fin, bear paw, various animal genitalia, and even human placenta.
SARS, an epidemic which originated from the consumption of rare animals, did nothing to curb our dietary desires, and one can easily imagine Kappa being yet another rare dish on our dining tables.
This film consists of humor, irony, fast-paced storytelling, unconventional cinematography, and a unique aesthetic. Through these elements, I hope to reflect the greed of humanity.
The objective is to have the audience entertained throughout the film but reflective as they leave the theater.

Producer's Statement

Appetite for Desire is inspired by the eating habit “Shi-Bu” - meaning to eat therapeutically. The irony in this film is that the intention of eating therapeutically results in eating addictively. The cruelty of human greed can be reflected simply by the food we choose.
Director Peter Ho is known for incorporating black humor and science fiction into his work, which is also one of the most popular genre combinations on the international market.
This project aims to include Korean special effects and computer graphics. Through collaboration between Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, and through government subsidies and soliciting funds, we hope to present a film brimming with Asian culture and sensibilities to a worldwide audience.

Director's Profile

Producer's Profile