Man-Hei or Man-Wai

Man-Hei or Man-Wai (Cantonese: 文熙或萬偉 Jyutping: man4 hei1 waak6 wan4 wai5) is a 1963 Hong Kong exploitation film directed by and starring Tsang Yuen-Fong in his directional and acting debuts. Inspired by Ed Wood's 1953 film, the film is a docudrama about cross-dressing and transsexuality, and is semi-autobiographical in nature.

Man-Hei or Man-Wai was marketed as the third and final installment in the Lee Man-Hei Trilogy, following Life with Aunt and Man Wu Luo.

Plot
Three years after the events of Man Wu Luo, the film begins with a narrator, called The Scientist, making cryptic comments about humanity. He first comments that humanity's constant search for the unknown results in startling things coming to light. But most of these "new" discoveries are actually quite old, which he refers to as "the signs of the ages". Later, the scene turns to the streets of a city, with the narrator commenting that each human has his/her own thoughts, ideas, and personality. He makes further comments on human life, while sounds accompany some comments. The cries of a newborn baby are followed by the sirens of an ambulance. One is a sign that a new life has begun, the other that a life has ended.

This last comment starts the narrative of the film. The life which has ended is that of a transvestite named Hiu Wai/Hiu Ying, who has committed suicide. A scene opens with their corpse in a small room. Within the room is an unidentified man who opens the door to a physician, a photographer, and the police. A suicide note explains the reasons behind the suicide. Hiu Wai/Hiu Ying had been arrested four times for cross-dressing in public, and had spent time in prison. Since they would continue wearing women's clothing, subsequent arrests and imprisonment were only a matter of time. So they ended their own life and wished to be buried with their women's clothing.

Inspector Leung Ka-Ho is puzzled and wants to know more about cross-dressing. So he seeks the office of Dr. Alton, who narrates for him the story of Lee Man-Hei/Man-Wai. Man-Hei is shown studying women's clothes in a shop window. Dr. Alton points out that men's clothes are dull and restrictive, whereas women can adorn themselves with attractive and comfortable clothing. A flashback scene reveals that a young Man-Hei started out by asking to wear his sister's dress for a Halloween party. And he did, despite his father's protests. But he then continued wearing his sister's clothing, and Po-Yi (the sister) eventually caught him in the act. She shuns him afterward.

Cast

 * Tsang Yuen-Fong as Lee Man-Wai/Lee Man-Wai
 * as Scientist/Spirit
 * Cheung Wood-Yau as Inspector Leung Ka-Ho
 * as the Narrator