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With its famous motto "All for One and One for all" from the classic film "In the Face of Demolition", the Union Film Enterprise (Union Film) stands out in Cantonese cinema's "golden era" of the 1950s for its commitment to artistic excellence and the moral function of film. As a tribute to the Union spirit of "One for All", the Hong Kong Film Archive's (HKFA) new exhibition, titled "The Union Spirit: One for All", showcases the glorious work of Union Film.
The exhibition is being held from now until May 29 at the Exhibition Hall of the HKFA. Admission is free.
Film stills, posters, magazines, synopses, film settings and selected film clips are on display under the themes "Social Realism", "Literary Adaptations", "War Experience" and "Chinese Opera and Legends". There are also photos and descriptions of famous stars such as Ng Cho-fan, Pak Yin, Cheung Ying, Mui Yee, Wong Man-lei, Cheung Wood-yau, Hung Sin Nui, Ma Si-tsang, Tsi Lo Lin, Yung Siu-yi and various filmmakers.
In the early 50s, Hong Kong was recovering from war damage and many Cantonese films at the time were poorly made and aesthetically inferior. Union Film unified the efforts of film stars and filmmakers to produce quality work that advocated their spirit of "upholding artistic values" and "contributing to society". The company's dedication to the art of filmmaking and the moral conviction in its works raised Cantonese and Hong Kong cinema to a new level. It is one of the most important companies in Hong Kong's filmmaking history.
To celebrate the HKFA's 10th anniversary, the Film Archive has organised the retrospective "All for One and One for all: Union Film" as a contribution to the 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF). In addition to the exhibition, the full catalogue of Union Film's 44 productions is being shown at the Cinema of the HKFA from now to May 29.
Films with English subtitles include the adaptations of Ba Jin's novel "Torrent Trilogy": "Family", "Spring" and "Autumn"; film adaptations of foreign literature in "An Orphan's Tragedy", "Eternal Love" and "Anna"; films featuring family values: "Love (Part 1)", "Love, the Sequel" and "Parents' Hearts", and films on social realism: "In the Face of Demolition", "Sworn Sisters" and "The More the Merrier".
Films in Cantonese without English subtitles include: "A Son is Born", "Story of Father and Son", "Big Thunderstorm", "The Wall", "A Beautiful Corpse Comes to Life", "Romance at the West Chamber", "The Precious Lotus Lamp", the sequel and part three, "Money", "A Home of a Million Gold", "Blood Money", "Long Live Money", "The Water Margin Booty Captured", "Adultery", "Murderer in Town", "A Borrowed Bride", "The Cruel Husband", "Autumn Comes to Crape Myrtle Garden", "The Tormented Beauty", "Road", "Human Relationships", "Wonderful Partners", "We Want to Live", "Humanity", "The Cruel Hand", "The Fairy", "The Bloody Sucker", "The House of Murders", "Sea", "Under Hong Kong's Roof" and "The Bloody Paper-man". The retrospective has met with an enthusiastic response and some of the screenings are already sold out.
HKFA's new publication "One for All: The Union Film Spirit" with an English edition in CD-ROM is on sale at the HKFA. It features essays contributed by renowned writers and scholars looking at Union Film and its works from various perspectives, by turns historical, aesthetic and cultural.
Two seminars, "The Union Film Spirit" and "The Genre Films of Union Film", will be held at 4.30pm on April 16 and April 30 respectively at the Cinema. Some of the screenings also have post-screening talks. The seminars and post-screening talks will be conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free.
Tickets priced at $30 for the screenings are now available at URBTIX outlets. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card bookings can be made at 2111 5999, or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk.
Detailed information and various discounts can be obtained in the "35th HKIFF Booking Folder" and "ProFolio 57" distributed at all performing venues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. For programme enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or 2734 2900 or browse the websites: www.filmarchive.gov.hk or www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp.
Ends/Friday, April 1, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:13
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