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Organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the popular flagship series "100 Must-See Hong Kong Movies" has shown audiences outstanding Hong Kong movies from different times. The programme will feature six films of the Hong Kong New Wave from May to August, including Tsui Hark's "The Butterfly Murders" (1979) and "Dangerous Encounter - 1st Kind" (1980) and Allen Fong's "Ah Ying" (1983) and "Just Like Weather" (1986). To complement the forthcoming HKFA programme "The Art of Film Scripting", "100 Must-See Hong Kong Movies" will also show Ann Hui's "The Secret" (1979) and Patrick Tam's "Nomad" (1982), which both featured the contributions of scriptwriter Joyce Chan.
The six films will be shown on May 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 at the HKFA Cinema, with post-screening talks conducted by Keeto Lam, Shu Kei, Ka Ming, Mary Wong, Hui So-ying, Yung Tsz-kwong and Chan Wing-chiu in Cantonese. These films will also be shown from May to July at Broadway Cinematheque (BC). "Ah Ying" and "Just Like Weather" will be screened on July 26 and August 9 respectively at Cine-Art House.
Tsui Hark's first feature film, "The Butterfly Murders", follows a respected scholar (Lau Siu-ming) and other martial arts masters who are recruited to solve a mysterious murder involving butterflies and probe into the death of a castle's patriarch. Tsui breathes new life into the wuxia genre by injecting scientific theories, innovative visual techniques and even an electric-style theme song. Along with Ann Hui's "The Secret", the film set in motion the ground-breaking cinematic movement later known as the Hong Kong New Wave.
Starring Alex Man, Angie Chiu and Sylvia Chang, "The Secret" is the directorial debut of Ann Hui. Based on a true murder case in 1970, the story is about the murder of a doctor and his fiancée. The Police suspect a mentally ill person is the murderer but the late couple's close friend subsequently discovers a conspiracy behind the case. The film is a hybrid of suspense and realism, and delves into the dark side of the human psyche. Its non-linear narrative structure also showcases the creativity of the scriptwriter and director.
Another New Wave classic directed by Tsui, "Dangerous Encounter - 1st Kind" was censored for violent scenes prior to its theatrical release but remains a defining film of the chaotic era nonetheless. Three secondary school students are forced to team up with a mysterious girl after she witnesses them killing a pedestrian in a car accident. The four later run afoul of heavily armed mercenaries, ending in tragic violence.
Patrick Tam's "Nomad" daringly portrays deviance and individuality among females, challenging social taboos. Starring Pat Ha with Kent Tong and Cecilia Yip with Leslie Cheung, the film follows two pairs of rebellious youngsters who act on impulse and show little care for the greater good. The violent involvement of the Japanese Red Army at the end makes an intriguing statement about Japanese pop culture and its influence on Hong Kong pop culture at the time.
Allen Fong often finds inspiration from the stories and people in the real world, bringing a unique down-to-earth style to his films. "Ah Ying" draws parallels with the real life of Ah Ying, who is shown working in a fish stall, living in a cramped flat with her family, having rendezvous with her ex-boyfriend and taking film classes. The "reality" on the screen showcases the self-respect and aspirations of an ordinary person. This critically acclaimed neo-realist drama won Best Film and Best Director at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards.
Featuring real-life couple Lei Yuk-kuen and Chan Hung-nin, "Just Like Weather" is another award-winning work directed by Fong, which follows a married couple who leave Hong Kong to start a new life. Nin cannot find a steady job in Hong Kong and decides to lean on his mother who runs a restaurant in America but his wife, Kuen, is reluctant about migrating there. Fong creates an intentional blur between drama and documentary by appearing on the screen with his camera crew as they follow Nin and Kuen on a road trip across America. The film won Fong Best Director at the 6th Hong Kong Film Awards and was recognised as the perfect conclusion to the Hong Kong New Wave at the time.
All films are in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles.
Tickets for screenings at the HKFA are available at URBTIX. Tickets for screenings at BC are available at BC and via its website. Tickets for screenings at Cine-Art House are available at Cine-Art House's box office from July 20 ("Ah Ying") and August 2 ("Just Like Weather").
Tickets for the HKFA's screenings are priced at $40, with half-price concessionary tickets for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities (and one accompanying minder), full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card telephone bookings can be made on 2111 5999 or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk. Tickets for BC's screenings are priced at $60; tickets priced at $44 are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, full-time students and children aged 11 or below. There is a 20 per cent discount for BC VIP members. Phone ticketing can be made on 2388 3188 or on the Internet at www.cinema.com.hk. Tickets for Cine-Art House's screenings are priced at $50. Phone ticketing can be made on 2317 6666 or on the Internet at www.cityline.com.
For enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or 2734 2900. Detailed programme information can be found in "ProFolio 77" and leaflets distributed at all performing venues of the LCSD, at BC or on the webpage at www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2011ms100/index.html.
Ends/Thursday, April 16, 2015
Issued at HKT 12:17
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