The works of famed Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-wai are on display at a retrospective supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (Dubai ETO) at Dubai's Cinema Akil from May 12 to 28 (Dubai time).

     This one-of-a-kind event features eight of Wong's cinematic masterpieces, namely "As Tears Go By", "Ashes of Time", "Chungking Express", "Days of Being Wild", "Fallen Angels", "In the Mood for Love", "The Grandmaster", and "2046". The retrospective kicked off on May 12 (Dubai time) with a screening of "Chungking Express".

     Speaking at the opening night of the retrospective, Deputy Director of the Dubai ETO Mr Alvin Wong, remarked that the Dubai ETO was proud to support the two-week long retrospective. "Wong Kar-wai has long been a beacon for the Hong Kong film industry, and we can think of no better ambassador of the industry to speak to the strength and diversity of our filmmaking talents in Hong Kong. We are elated to see that his films, characterised by rich visuals and the exploration of universal themes such as love, resonate with audiences here in the Middle East."

     Mr Wong added that films serve as an excellent medium for Hong Kong to showcase its unique East-meets-West culture and, in fact, Hong Kong has been positioned as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. "For years, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has spared no effort to promote the cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong. In the 2023-24 Budget, the Government announced that it would inject another HK$500 million into the CreateSmart Initiative, which has sponsored about 650 related projects in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas and created nearly 30 000 jobs since its inception in 2009."

     He further supplemented that there is much reason to be excited about the burgeoning cultural scene in Hong Kong since the lifting of various requirements associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. "In the last few months alone, we hosted Art Basel, Art Central, Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, and the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival, all of which drew strong participation from local and overseas participants, cementing Hong Kong's role as the international hub for arts and cultural events."

     Back in the region, the Dubai ETO will continue to promote the very best of Hong Kong's creative and cultural industries by organising festivals, exhibitions and seminars. 

Ends/Monday, May 15, 2023
Issued at HKT 21:17

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