GBA4 | GBAFOCUS Friday, November 13, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY Films Still rolling strong A number of HK-made films continue to fly the flag at the world’s leading festivals, and indie filmmakers from the city are more active than ever in the time of COVID-19, writes Mathew Scott.

ita Hui has a theory about Veteran fi lmmaker Ann Hui On- — such as Hong Kong’s Film Develop- how Hong Kong’s inde- wah contributed to Septet and had ment Fund and Busan’s Asia Cinema pendent fi lm industry will her new drama Love After Love make Fund — the Asian Project Market this endure and then emerge its Asia premiere, while the digital year becomes even more important as Rfrom the pandemic that pretty much remastered version of Wong Kar- the pandemic has shrunk the global brought film production — every- wai’s soulful romance, In the Mood economy, making investors even where — to a halt for the greater part for Love, rescreened 20 years on from more wary than ever before. of 2020. its original screening in Busan. “It’s important for independent fi lm- “I think independent film has “When the Busan International makers to have an exchange with the Sammo Hung’s (above) film Exercise (right) actually been more active than ever,” Film Festival was founded, Hong world outside Hong Kong,” says Hui. was screened at Busan International Film explains the independent Hong Kong Kong was a country with a signifi - “The connections you can make are Festival recently, as part of the omnibus film, filmmaker and educator. “It seems cant and notable film industry for very important and the current cli- Septet: The Story of Hong Kong. for commercial films it has been Korea and Asia and internationally,” mate, I would say, has made them even PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY impossible to have a production but explains Park Sun-young, one of more important. It is tough in Hong independent fi lm has continued, with BIFF’s programers of Asian fi lm. Kong today, so you have to fi nd a way.” documentaries, and short fi lms and “Hong Kong films have always plans for feature fi lms. Independent been an essential partner to us. They Inspiring the young fi lmmakers really want to have their have always been and will always be Around 20,000 people actually voices heard so I think the past year a great asset to film fans in Korea made it into cinemas in Busan this has just made us work harder. We are and Asia,” Park says, adding, “One of year, in spite of government restric- more used to the struggle.” Hong Kong fi lms’ strengths is that tions limiting theater capacity to 25 In some ways, Hong Kong has been the great masters who led Hong Kong percent. A major positive takeaway luckier than other global markets. cinema in the 70s, 80s and 90s are was that global interest in Asian Cinemas here have reopened, albeit still actively fi lmmaking and inspir- cinema continues to peak, following with reduced capacities, whereas in ing to this day. Their new fi lms always South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s many parts of Europe, such as Italy, have dedicated audiences.” historic fi rst Best Picture Oscar for Yuen Wo-ping’s (right) Homecoming they were shut down again recently While Hui could not be in Busan the region last year for his darkly rich (above) figured in the seven-film omnibus as COVID-19 numbers spike. physically due to travel restrictions, social satire Parasite. by Hong Kong directors that opened Busan International Film Festival. A number of Hong Kong fi lms have the fi lmmaker was there in spirit and The global festival buzz this year also continued to fl y the fl ag at the in hope as she had her next produc- has been all about Korean-American world’s leading festivals — and will tion — a “modern take on martial director Lee Isaac Chung’s distinct- continue to do so, playing a major role arts” titled Castle Peak — down as ly Asian domestic drama Minari, when it comes to the programing of part of the festival’s annual Asian already reportedly under consider- Asian cinema, according to festival Project Market. ation for the Oscars and a huge hit representatives. For independent fi lmmakers across with its audience in Busan. Asia and their continuing struggle to There were no Hong Kong films Hong Kong favorites fi nd the cash they need to see their in the running for BIFF’s major prize A case in point was last month’s cinematic dreams realized, platforms this year — the New Currents award Busan International Film Festival, such as the Asian Project Market are for fi rst or second-time Asian fi lm- hosted annually by the sprawling of vital importance. They help con- makers. But inspiration for — and South Korean port city. nect the dots — or, in reality, fi lmmak- solidarity with — the city’s indepen- Arguably Asia’s largest fi lm indus- ers with people who have the money dent fi lmmakers was apparent. try event, this year’s 25th edition to make things happen. For instance, the Maung Sun- Ann Hui’s (left) new drama film Love After of BIFF was scaled down in terms Combined with annual fi lm funds directed Money Has Four Legs — the Love (above) made its Asia premiere at Busan of audience numbers, films fi rst-ever production from Myan- International Film Festival. screened and related activities, mar to be in the running for the but there were two new Hong major prize — is the story of a Kong productions that featured fi lmmaker battling the odds to prominently during its Oct 21-30 get his fi rst feature made. run, and an old favorite remas- While it didn’t win — the two tered for a new generation of prizes worth $30,000 went to fi lm lovers. Japanese director Yujiro Haru- Septet: The Story of Hong moto’s schoolyard drama A Bal- Kong, comprising seg- ance and Kazakhstani ments paying tribute to director Ruslan Pak’s the city created by seven murder mystery Three of the city’s most famous — Money Has Four directors — including Legs certainly pro- Johnnie To Kei-fung, vided a unique insight Sammo Hung Kam-bo into the problems and Patrick Tam Kar- encountered by Asia’s ming — was BIFF’s independent fi lmmak- opening film, having ers. The setting and already been part of the the characters are dis- Astray (above), directed by Ringo Lam, is part Official Selection sec- tinctly Burmese but its of Septet: The Story of Hong Kong, an omnibus tion at Cannes 2020. themes regionally univer- film that made it to the Official Selection at sal. Maung Sun said that even Cannes 2020. as he was making the fi lm he had a feeling it would resonate with his peers across Asia. “I didn’t really know how to get a fi lm made but I knew that Filmmaker Rita Hui says in Hong Kong I would never get one made if I work on independent films has continued didn’t have (the) passion (for it),” through the pandemic. said Maung Sun. “I think fi lm- makers all over Asia encounter similar problems, with funding, with actually fi nding a place to A digitally remastered version of Wong Kar-wai’s classic, screen your fi lm, and with fi nd- In the Mood for Love, was ing the passion needed to get screened at Busan International the work fi nished. Maybe if Film Festival recently. anyone gets to see my fi lm they might feel encouraged.” Films HK’s Prince Edward is going places By MATHEW SCOTT The film — starring an and a lot of people turned to writ- lot of the fi lms being made. So it’s impressive Stephy Tang — ing. So I think there will be a lot of very important.” Norris Wong’s origin story is looks at a love triangle, hidden content coming out in the future My Prince Edward was funded about as “Hong Kong” as they secrets, and the daily worries and and I’m excited about that.” by Create Hong Kong’s First Fea- come. joys of single life. Wong picked up Wong started out as a writer her- ture Film Initiative. In terms of She grew up in a small flat Hong Kong Film Festival’s best self. After graduating with a Mas- style, Wong says she took her inspi- dreaming of making movies, and new director gong in May, and was ter’s degree in filmmaking from ration from the likes of American of featuring the sights and sounds nominated in the same category at Hong Kong Baptist University, she fi lmmaker Charlie Kaufman (Eter- that surrounded her every day. October’s Asian Film Awards, held joined the team at HKTV, work- nal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) She’s been through di culties but as part of this year’s Busan Interna- ing on scripts. Unfortunately, the and Hong Kong’s own Ann Hui (A has found a way to adapt and con- tional Film Festival in South Korea. wannabe network’s bid to get a Simple Life). tinue to work. Before this success came a period free-to-air broadcast license failed “Ann has worked across genres, The past 12 months have seen of disappointment and struggle but to get the green light from the gov- from super small to super big,” says Wong’s talent shine in Hong Kong, Wong was able to still fi nd a way to Norris Wong’s debut directorial venture, My Prince Edward, had a good run in ernment in 2013. Wong turned to Wong. “Her fi lms are always very and around the world, with her get the work done and she has seen Hong Kong and is now doing the international film festivals circuit. making short fi lms. She was also accessible to the general public. debut feature fi lm as a director, the much the same situation playing an assistant script writer on Tracy Neither Ann nor Kaufman has had drama-tinged romance My Prince out for the Hong Kong fi lm indus- Choi’s 2016 fi lm Sisterhood. to sacrifi ce artistic values. I want to Edward. try as a whole this year, as fi lm pro- “There have been some big hits be the same.” “I wanted to work on a topic and duction has been shut down due to to the fi lm industry recently, includ- It’s all down to adaptability, a location that I was very famil- the COVID-19 pandemic. ing the loss of HKTV as the fi lm Wong says. She is currently work- iar with,” the 33-year-old Wong “At the beginning of the lock- and TV industries in Hong Kong ing on projects for both TV and the explains. “I actually grew up in the down there were many crew mem- are closely linked,” says Wong. The big screen. Prince Edward area, right across bers who just didn’t have work,” downslide affected many people “Hong Kong fi lms will never die,” from the Golden Plaza. So I had Wong explains. “They had to fi nd emotionally, as well as profession- says Wong. “Filmmakers will fi nd always imagined stories about what other work to do. Some even ally, she says, adding, “The (Hong di erent formats, like documenta- might be happening inside that became Uber drivers. But people My Prince Edward is about the worries, joys and aspirations of a single woman Kong government’s) Film Develop- ries which are growing in popular- mall.” learned to coexist with the virus who sells bridal gowns in Mong Kok. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ment Fund has been involved in a ity. The Hong Kong spirit won’t die.”