Herman Yau, born in 1961 in Hong Kong, is a director known for his audacious approach to genre filmmaking. His work on Ebola Syndrome (1996) exemplifies his ability to blend dark humor with exploitation elements, making it a notable entry in the realm of cult cinema. Yau's background in film, honed at the Hong Kong Baptist College, laid the foundation for his distinctive style, characterized by bold narratives and striking visuals. As a multifaceted filmmaker, he has contributed significantly to the Hong Kong film landscape, pushing boundaries and challenging conventions.
Ebola Syndrome
Ah Kai is a wanted convict from Hong Kong who escapes to South Africa after killing his former boss and his boss's wife. In South Africa, he works at a Chinese restaurant and one day travels with his boss to a South African tribe that is infected with the Ebola virus. Kai sees a dying infected tribe member and rapes and kills her, contracting the virus. Kai, however, is immune to the infection. He becomes a living carrier, spreading the disease to others through body fluids. He ends up killing his new boss and his boss's wife, but not before spreading the virus to them. He then cuts up their corpses and serves them as hamburgers in the restaurant, effectively spreading the virus all over South Africa. He then further spreads the virus when he flees back to Hong Kong, to all the people he has contact with.
