SINGAPORE: The stars of MediaCorp Raintree Pictures’ latest film, Protégé, will lend their support in the war against drugs at a red carpet Charity Gala Screening Monday evening.

The presence of Hong Kong actors Daniel Wu and Louis Koo, who star in the anti-drug film, will not only attract fans but other local celebrities to raise awareness of the increasing drug problems worldwide.

"We are very happy to be able to infuse such a strong, powerful and entertaining movie with an equally strong and powerful anti-drugs message for the festive period," says Daniel Yun, Managing Director of MediaCorp Raintree Pictures.

"That so many experienced filmmakers and big stars in the Asian movie industry have come together to produce such a film makes our involvement and effort here in Singapore a lot more meaningful and rewarding," says Mr Yun.

The strong anti-drug message of the movie has attracted sponsorship of companies such as TeleChoice International Limited to bulk purchase more than 300 tickets for their customers and corporate guests.

"In the midst of Chinese New Year festivities and promotions, we felt strongly about supporting a film like Protégé as it brings with it a larger cause than mere entertainment," says Pauline Wong, Vice President of Distribution at TeleChoice.

"It is a vehicle in delivering a message that everyone, especially the youths, need to be aware of, and only with the knowledge can the battle against drugs be won," she says.

Shot on location in Hong Kong and Thailand, it is through this film that award-winning director Derek Yee reveals the ways of drug traffickers and the fate of most drug users.

The film sees a well-intentioned narcotics agent, "Nick" (Daniel Wu), deep undercover in the heart of Hong Kong’s lucrative heroin trade, who is forced to deal with the hypocrisy and despair in a life of drugs and crime, as he plays protégé to one of the key players of the game, "Banker" (Andy Lau).

In the eight years he has been infiltrating the heroin industry, "Nick" gathers enough evidence to indict "Banker", but receives orders to remain undercover and expose the identity of the man behind "Banker", to bring down the entire organisation.

As "Nick" becomes more embroiled with "Banker’s" craft and increasingly entrusted with his confidences, he finds himself corrupted by the easy money and his new found power, becoming unable to separate himself from his undercover persona.

"Drug trafficking is an act of evil," says Director Yee. "I think all drug dealers deserve to go to hell, and they will."

He tells the story with brutal honesty, providing a very real ‘behind the scenes’ take on what he terms 'one of the most evil enterprises in human history’.

"Although films about drug trafficking have been made numerous times before, I believe the reality of the subject matter remains elusive to most movie going audiences," says Yee.

"As one could imagine, it’s quite a challenge or should I say a monumental task to secure an interview with real life drug dealers, not to mention in persuading them to reveal the whole picture on the drug trafficking industry."

Also starring in the film is Chinese actress Zhang Jing Chu, who plays Jane, a single mother living in poverty who has fallen prey to the dangerous narcotics that has also claimed her estranged husband (Louis Koo).

Her brief affair with "Nick", gives her hope for a new life, an escape from the past, but the re-emergence of her husband brings with it some dire consequences.

"Through Protégé, we hope more can be aware and avoid becoming victims to drug abuse," says Kong Mun Kwong, a member of the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) in Singapore.

Not only will NCADA benefit from the funs raised at the charity screening, but more importantly the film provides ‘very good educational messages on the dangers of drug abuse’.

The film is set to be released in Singapore on 15 Feburary and will also be screening across the region in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan. - cna/yy