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The following is issued on behalf of the Provisional Urban Council:
The Hong Kong Film Archive's annual exhibition, titled "The Making of Martial Arts Films - As Told by Filmmakers and Stars" will kick off tomorrow (March 31) at the Exhibition Hall of Hong Kong City Hall, Low Block. The exhibition will be open from 10am to 10pm daily and will continue until April 18 (Sunday). Admission is free.
"The Hong Kong Film Archive was established for the purpose of collecting and preserving our cinematic heritage. Over the last few years, the Archive has embarked on an Oral History Project. Through this project, we have interviewed over 150 personalities of the Hong Kong cinema. For this exhibition, we have extracted from among our interviews those relevant sections concerning the theme of the making of martial arts films. We have presented and reorganised these extracts in our multi-media exhibition before you," said the Chairman of the Provisional Urban Council's Culture Select Committee, Mr Pao Ping-wing at the press preview held today (March 30).
"Apart from showing extracts of our videotaped sessions in the Oral History Project, we have also organised seminars with filmmakers, and the showing of relevant film clips. In addition, listeners can wax nostalgic at the touch of a button which allows them to listen to old movie soundtracks and theme songs. The exhibition also includes displays of rare artifacts, such as stills, accompanied by informative captions. All this, in order to let the public understand, from various perspectives, the making of one of the most popular and durable of genres in the Hong Kong cinema - the martial arts picture," added Mr Pao.
The exhibition will be divided into four zones. The First Zone is an introductory look at the changes and evolution of the martial arts genre, including both the sword fighting and kung fu strains. The Second Zone offers an introduction into the characters of the martial arts genre - the kung fu heroes, the swordsmen and swordswomen, as well as the villains, that have made the genre so popular. The Third Zone introduces the martial arts directors and instructors - the people who are instrumental in devising and choreographing the action scenes. The Fourth Zone concentrates on the oral recordings of the directors - how they view their own works, the development of the genre, and their evaluations of where the genre stands in the estimation of history.
The veterans that the Hong Kong Film Archive has managed to interview span from Chin Tsi-ang, Hong Kong's first lady martial arts star, to Michelle Yeoh, who has now carried her fame and talent into Hollywood. Among them are prominent stars and directors who have long retired as well as those up-and-coming talents still working in the industry.
Other prominent veterans recollecting their past include directors Wu Pang and Ling Wan. Wu was famous for his Wong Fei-hung kung fu series, while Ling Wan was a director of the fantasy strand of martial arts pictures. Other famous directors who will give their opinions on the relation between martial arts and film as well as their philosophy on film includes Tsui Hark, Ching Siu-tung and Jeff Lau.
Also appearing at the interview, will be martial arts directors, such as Lau Kar-leung, Tong Kai, Tung Wai, Ching Siu-tung who will speak of their early years and how they learned the martial arts, how they entered the film industry and how they devised action scenes and weapons. Each combat scene represents an achievement in the film production industry and each story told an invaluable historical record.
In addition, film stars who are famous for their heroin role in martial arts films such as Cheng Pei-pei, Chan Po-chu and Yam Sai-koon will also speak of their past experiences related to films.
During the exhibition period, a selection of different styles of martial arts films will be shown in the video screening room of the exhibition. Films chosen include: The Storm Riders (Lau Wai-keung, 1998), Zu-Warriors from the Magic Mountain (Tsui Hark, 1983), The Valiant Ones (King Hu, 1975), Enter the Dragon (starring Bruce Lee, 1973), Pledge of the Twin Blades Part I & II (Lung To, 1962), and Wong Fei-hung Smashed the Five Tigers (Wu Pang, 1961).
Two Filmmakers' seminars will be held on April 3 (4:15 pm) and 10 (4:30 pm) in which celebrities will talk about the development of martial arts pictures with the public. On April 3 (Saturday) film star, Cheng Pei-pei who was famous for her heroin role as in King Hu's swordplay film Come Drink With Me will meet the audience to talk about King Hu and his films. On April 10 (Saturday) the director of Centro Digital Pictures Limited, John Chu will be present to reveal the magic behind all the computer graphic techniques used in The Storm Riders, bringing with him digital images that shows the shooting and post-production.
Screening schedule for martial arts films during the exhibition period is as follows:
Date 2:30pm 5:30pm 7:30pm
---- ------ ------ ------
April 2 Wong Fei-hung The Stormriders -
(Fri) Smashed the Five (with Making of
Tigers the Computer
Special Effects)
April 3 The Valiant Ones - Enter the
(Sat) Dragon
April 4 Zu-Warriors from Pledge of the Twin -
(Sun) the Magic Blades Part I & II
Mountain
April 5 The Storm Riders Wong Fei-hung -
(Mon) (with Making of Smashed the Five
the Computer Tigers
Special Effects)
April 6 Enter the Dragon The Valiant Ones -
(Tue)
April 10 The Storm Riders - Wong
(Sat) (with Making of Fei-hung
the Computer Smashed
Special Effects) the Five
Tigers
April 11 Zu-Warriors from Pledge of the -
(Sun) the Magic Mountain Blades Part I
& II
April 17 The Valiant Ones Enter the Dragon -
(Sat)
April 18 Zu-Warriors from Pledge of the -
(Sun) the Magic Mountain Blades Part I
& II
End/Tuesday, March 30, 1999
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