10 HK | CULTURE Friday, June 15, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION

Literary Novel ideas for cult fi lms Freddie Wong pays tribute to Yichang’s literary genius which inspired a bunch of brilliant movies, including Wong’s own. A report by Mathew Scott.

hen Freddie Wong Then he was in talks with Wong began reading The Kar-wai. But what made the novel Drunkard he found — and Liu’s work in general — so in it authentic re- popular with fi lmmakers ironical- flW ections of the city he called home ly made it a tough sell to investors. and at the same time something This was a time when it would entirely new. be “very di cult to convince peo- “No one in Hong Kong had ever ple to invest in a fi lm based on a read anything like it before,” says novel that was all about conversa- the director of the eponymous tions, fantasies, dreams, and fl ash- fi lm, based on Liu Yichang’s 1963 backs to the war,” recalls Freddie novel. “I guess you could say it Wong. “It took me years to get was a novel that changed the way the money. Liu even extended the we thought about writing and contract by fi ve years. In the end I about the city.” decided to direct the fi lm myself.” Liu’s tale of a middle-aged writ- Freddie Wong’s fi lm came out er wrestling with his demons has in 2010 — and met with Liu’s ap- in the decades since its release proval. “I thought I had captured been widely hailed as the fi rst ex- maybe 10 per cent of the novel,” he ample of a Chinese author writing says. “Liu said he thought it was in stream-of-consciousness mode. close to 80 per cent, so that made For aspiring artistes of the time, me happy.” as Freddie Wong was then, and for generations since, the novel has At home in Hong Kong served as an inspiration and ex- Liu was born in , De- ample of challenging the limits of cember 7, 1918 and — after work- creative imagination. ing on newspapers across Asia — “In Hong Kong Liu was so Liu Yichang’s novels, Intersection and The Drunkard, formed the base of Wong Kar-wai’s cult classic, (2000). arrived in Hong Kong in 1948 “on popular, his novels and his work my own, with my pen” as he told (fi gured) in so many newspapers, the fi lmmaker Ben Wong King-fai every day,” explains Freddie Wong. in the docu-drama 1918. By 1957 “As soon as The Drunkard came Liu had made Hong Kong his out I read it, as did all my friends. home. Liu’s style was very cinematic. He Liu’s impact on the local media is almost like a fi lm editor in the scene was immediate. He was high- way he cuts (and splices) his sto- ly prolifi c, estimated to have been ries together. producing around 10,000 words a ‘’I think that’s why his work is so day at one point. His output was popular among fi lmmakers, even split between writing columns for though everyone always thought newspapers like Hong Kong Times that The Drunkard could never and and fi ction. Liu be made into a fi lm because of its was also an avid reader and active- stream-of-consciousness style.” Liu Yichang, who died on June ly sought out writers he had liked 8, is remembered by Hong reading. He would give them writ- Kong’s cultural community as From page to screen ing commissions as well as career a guiding force who wanted The passing of Liu last Friday — others to shine. advice. He had mentored the likes aged 99 — has returned the spot- of Zhang Yan (better known by her light to the writer’s work and his pseudonym ) who went on to vast creative infl uence. become writers of repute. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Home “He always knew everyone,” says A airs Lau Kong-wah said the city Freddie Wong. “He already knew had lost “a master of Chinese lit- my work as a critic when I fi rst met erature”. him and I think it was the same “Generations of local writers for many writers in Hong Kong. have benefi tted from his contribu- He tried always to help them and tions. His passing was a great loss was just a very nice man.” to the cultural sector,” said Lau. Freddie Wong is now at work on Liu’s work most famously in- Freddie Wong (right), who made a fi lm based on Liu’s The a sequel to The Drunkard, and vis- spired the fi lmmaker Wong Kar- Drunkard, is preparing to shoot a sequel. ited Liu last year to seek the mas- wai who told the local media that ter’s approval. he “deeply mourned” the writer’s Freddie Wong’s The Drunkard (2010) was a later screen “We had limited time and a lim- death. Liu’s The Drunkard and In- adaptation of Liu’s novel of the same name. ited budget to make The Drunkard tersection (1972) served as the base and I don’t think we were very suc- material for Wong Kar-wai’s rich- cessful,” says Freddie Wong. This ly-evocative In the Mood for Love time round he has imagined the (2000) and 2046 (2004). fi lm he is about to make as “an ex- Freddie Wong studied fi lm- tension of Liu’s novel”, as it unfolds making in Paris in the 1970s be- 20 years later. “I got the approval fore becoming a noted critic and from Liu and his wife last year. He programmer for the Hong Kong agreed to it and he encouraged me International Film Festival, and — like he always did everyone,” the then a fi lmmaker himself. Over fi lmmaker adds. the decades The Drunkard had be- E orts are on to put together come equal parts his passion and a collection of Liu’s unpublished obsession. He obtained the rights works as well as have The Drunk- to make a fi lm adaptation of the ard translated into English. Above and right: The Drunkard had met with approval from Liu novel from Liu in 1999. who told Freddie Wong his fi lm was very close to the spirit of the “We all hope that this can help Liu continue to inspire the future At fi rst Freddie Wong had hoped novel on which it was based. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY to have Alan Fong direct the fi lm. generations,” says Freddie Wong.

Food Review Bring on the Italian summer!

BY MAGGIE BEALE ria del Pescatore Hong Kong, targa features in some of the also pan-seared seabass that rus-based marinade to cure is responsible for bringing this dishes. Cured grey mullet roe is well worth a mention and a the fi sh), orange sweet potato, As the sun shines — with world-renowned brand to the bottarga is an indispensable in- shrimp and asparagus bucatini and Peruvian white corn cho- the occasional thunderstorm city. The eatery is attracting gredient used in Sardinia. It is that melds together fl avors of clo with Peruvian crispy corn adding a noise or two — our lovers of good food to its prem- produced in the Pond of Cabras Vietnamese tiger prawns, green cancha. Another favorite is the thoughts turn to summer fare. ises on Po Yan Street in Sheung in the Sinis Peninsula and has asparagus and black tru e Peruvian tiger milk, inspired Picada in Lan Kwai Fong serves the delectable Peruvian This is the season to tuck into Wan — a district that is fast be- been part of Sardinia’s gastro- sauce. Just delicious! by the island of Callao, Peru. ceviche, containing exotic ingredients like tiger’s milk. seafood, and luckily for us coming a go-to destination for nomic tradition for thousands At the independent Latin The dish features fried seabass, PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY there’s a wealth of restaurants exotic food-hunters. of years. restaurant and bar — Picada marinated with celery, corian- Freshly-shucked oysters featuring seafood specialities Among the highlights from Over at Cafe Deco on the on Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai der, garlic, chilli, lime sauce, at the all-you-can-eat bu et from all corners of the globe in the menu is lobster Catalan, a 20th fl oor of The ONE in Tsim Fong, head chef Abel Ortiz has fi sh stock, ginger and white served at Café Deco in The Hong Kong. traditional dish originating in Sha Tsui, they serve freshly- revamped the menu, o er- onions for 30 minutes before One, Tsim Sha Tsui. Italian food afi cionados Alghero, a Sardinian coastal shucked French oysters directly ing dishes from all over Latin blending. All ceviche are made abound in this city as indeed town. The original recipe for sourced from Arcachon and America as well as other coun- using fresh rather than frozen in other major metropolises of this dish involved mixing extra Brittany. Both types are irresist- tries of the world — Spain, Peru, ingredients. the world. There seems to be virgin olive oil and lemon with ibly creamy and crisp with a Africa, China and even Japan. Well, like grandma would say, as many modern interpreta- de-shelled boiled lobster. It was hint of salt. And there’s a spread Diet-conscious eaters will be a meal is never complete with- tions of the traditional Italian re-created at Trattoria del Pes- of oyster-infused specials in dis- glad to know that 98 percent out a dessert. And for many of dishes as there are restaurants catore by adding sliced red on- tinctive styles, created by execu- of all the dishes are gluten-free us the number one choice from in Hong Kong. ions and Sardinian tomatoes, tive chef Zero Yu as part of the and there’s an extensive list of Italy is invariably tiramisu — a A fi rm favorite in the city of making it a signature dish of all-you-can-eat bu et. Oyster yummy vegetarian delicacies. rich treat blending the bold fl a- Milan for 40 years, Trattoria del the house. The new recipe be- omelette served with sweet chili The chef’s favorite dish — the vors of cocoa and espresso with Pescatore serves food prepared came so popular in Italy that sauce lifts the taste buds. It has Peruvian ceviche — is made savory mascarpone cheese, according to traditional Sardin- restaurants in Alghero have a perfect mix of bite-size oys- with seabass from France, layered between ladyfi nger bis- Try the lobster Catalan which comes with ian recipes. Christopher Liu, since followed suit. ters, tapioca fl our, eggs, spring mixed with red onions, chilli, cuits. Wow, what a lovely way to a generous sprinkling of extra virgin olive oil end an Italian meal! owner and operator of Tratto- It’s no surprise to see bot- onion and coriander. There’s coriander, tiger’s milk (a cit- at Trattoria del Pescatore Hong Kong.