The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present the exhibition "Treasure-Hunt Stories: A 25-Year Cinematic Journey" at the HKFA Exhibition Hall in Sai Wan Ho from July 31 to May 9, 2027. The exhibition highlights the HKFA's dedicated efforts in preserving the history and culture of Hong Kong cinema through acquisition and restoration since its establishment, and is part of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the HKFA.
 
A worldwide quest for cinematic treasures
 
     The HKFA's acquisition efforts have spanned Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. The exhibition features detailed interview videos with frontline acquisition staff and donors, recounting the HKFA's overseas acquisition stories, including the largest overseas acquisition in the HKFA's history - tens of thousands of invaluable items from North American cinemas donated by theatre owner Mr Gordon Fung. Precious film footage recovered from around the world are also shown in the videos, including a restored clip of the colour negative of Bruce Lee's early work "The Orphan" (1960), "The Dividing Wall" (1952) by renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhu Shilin, Patrick Tse's "Winter Love" (1968), and Leslie Cheung's "Days of Being Wild" (1990), guiding visitors through the triumphant journey of Hong Kong films across the seas with first-hand accounts.
 
Recovering pre-war cinematic treasures from a San Francisco basement
 
     The HKFA visited the villa of Mr Jack Lee Fong, owner of the Palace Theatre, in San Francisco, the United States, and discovered in his basement numerous Chinese nitrate films from the 1930s and 1940s. These included several long-lost pre-war Hong Kong films such as "The Light of Women" (1937), as well as one of China's earliest sound films, "Struggle" (1933), which is believed to be the only surviving work of Unique Film Productions (Shanghai). Mr Fong subsequently donated over 100 film prints to the HKFA for permanent preservation. The exhibition recreates Mr Fong's basement in a scene, allowing visitors to experience the surprising moment of discovering these film treasures.
 
Homage to 25 representative donors
 
     Facing the challenges posed by the local climate to the conservation of film artefacts, the HKFA has been racing against time over the past 25 years, proactively acquiring, restoring, and preserving endangered film collections. Thanks to the trust and support of the public and the industry, the HKFA has received a large number of donations. The exhibition features a curated selection of around 100 film clips from the 1930s to the 2000s, chosen from the donations of 25 representative donors for visitors to select and screen.
 
Restoration station: where science meets craftsmanship    
 
     Most of the classic films in the HKFA's collection undergo a meticulous restoration process by professionals before returning to the silver screen. The exhibition features the workbench and professional tools used by conservators to inspect and repair films, including a manual film rewinder, a 35mm tape splicer, and a film synchroniser. Visitors can also experience the film inspection process with films and a magnifying glass on the workbench to gain a better understanding of the technical side of film restoration.
 
     The exhibition also offers interactive experiences and photo spots. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Design Institute, two simulation games designed by students are available for visitors to experience the acquisition and conservation of film. In addition to a film vault recreated on a 1:1 scale with light boxes, the exhibition features various interactive installations, including a four-metre-wide "Film Can Wall" with rotating circular panels for visitors to learn about film. There will be film canisters of different sizes for visitors to feel their weight, and an enlarged film scrolling installation for visitors to match film frames from before and after restoration.
 
     Two seminars will be held to complement the exhibition. Details will be available at the HKFA website later. Admission to the exhibition is free. For details, please visit www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2026/25a-fa-exhib/pe-event-2026-25a-fa-exhib.html or call 2739 2139 for enquiries.

Ends/Thursday, July 30, 2026
Issued at HKT 18:25

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