CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, July 5, 2019 | 9 Culture profi le A man of many parts Musician, actor, director, producer — Teddy Robin remembers the milestones of his illustrious showbiz career spanning more than 50 years. Mathew Scott listened in. eddy Robin carries with him an it,” says Robin. “I think it was because of want to see them. Some directors make air of enthusiasm that can lift Beatle-mania. I don’t think I handled the fi lms that are too arty. If people don’t see Teddy Robin earned fame as a rock your mood. fame very well. I was shocked.” your fi lms, what’s the use of them?” star but always knew his path would It has you smiling, before you lead him to films. ROY LIU / CHINA DAILY knowT it, almost as broadly as Robin him- A life in the movies Seeking out the best self does when asked fi rst-up if he’s ever Much of the attention, as always in the It’s a point that leads us directly to why thought about the reason behind his run music world, was focused on the lead sing- Robin has come to HKAC. He had a hand of success in the world of Asian entertain- er with the light, bright voice and the fi lm in around 50 fi lms across his career, from ment for more than 50 years. industry in Hong Kong was quick to notice early box-o ce hits such as his debut in “Fate!” is the initial, rapid-fi re response, how the fans fl ocked to Robin. 1970, on to the best supporting actor nod before Robin scrunches his face slightly Super producer Raymond Chow, then he received at the Hong Kong Film Awards and, after a moment of refl ection, expands still at the massive Shaw Brothers studio in 2010 for playing an ageing martial art- on this theory. but on the verge of breaking free and start- ist in Gallants, and then his personalized “One day I just picked up a guitar,” he ing Golden Harvest, o ered to make Robin dabble in horror with last year’s Lucid explains. “Then I found I could sing very an even bigger star. Dreams. well. Who knew? You don’t know these What Chow didn’t realize was that Rob- But back in 1981, the Robin touch as things until you try. When I moved into in had long been dreaming of making his producer was showcased in Ann Hui’s fi lm, I found I had the right instincts so way into the fi lm industry. The hint was acclaimed The Story of Woo Viet. The I guess the best thing is to follow where in his name. fi lm was chosen to screen at Cannes and fate takes you.” “Even when my music was a big hit I was recently part of the New Waves, New Few success stories can rival that of this was thinking about movies,” says Robin. Shores: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 50 diminutive 74-year-old. We’re at Hong “Ever since I was a child I wanted to work Meets Hong Kong Cinema program at Kong Arts Centre to discuss his long career in the movies. I called myself Robin after HKAC. and Robin has arrived, after all these years, watching The Adventures of Robin Hood The plot revolves around a Vietnamese full of energy that he says is fueled by the (1938), so I guess it was going to happen.” refugee who washes up in Hong Kong and desire to create and the thrill of seeing his Born Kwan Wai-pang, Robin picked up the adversities he is faced with trying to ideas come to fruition. his English from the fi lms he watched. make a living. The fi lm helped establish Robin was in high school “But I don’t think I’m an actor,” says Hui’s reputation, and convinced people when he formed a band with Robin. “Raymond Chow wanted to sign that Chow Yun-fat was more than just a his two brothers and two me for four films, but I just wanted to TV star. friends. They named them- try one (1970’s The Price of Love). People “It was a long, long time ago,” says Rob- selves Teddy Robin and the already knew me because of my music, so in. “Usually I help out as creative producer Playboys. Soon they were I guess I was a good fi t. That fi lm made but on that fi lm I didn’t create that much. playing to packed houses in me famous in Southeast Asia. I had just It was all about the story. I had three hits Hong Kong and dominated graduated from high school then. By the before this fi lm, very good box o ce, and the local radio playlists. early seventies I went everywhere, and they talked about things that went a bit They were the biggest people knew me.” deeper, other than just fi ghting or what- band the city had at a time He was looking to play non-acting ever. This fi lm had a little bit of action, a when the music world was roles in the film industry. Although he great story with a lot of drama. being overturned by a band has continued to act sporadically, Robin “People forget that at that time Chow of floppy-haired lads from is better known as director, composer and Yun-fat was thought of as box-o ce poi- Liverpool. producer. The last of these suits him the son. He was really popular on TV but his “The whole world wanted best, he feels. movies didn’t make money — except this. Chow Yun-fat got his breakthrough their own kind of this mania and we were “It’s the best job I can do in the film Later of course he became a big star. But film role in the Ann Hui-directed The lucky, we were chosen as The Beatles of business, better than being a director or (in Woo Viet) he had something good to Story of Woo Viet , produced by Teddy Hong Kong,” says Robin. acting,” says Robin. “I’ve good eyes. I can work with. The script is great and Ann is Robin. Teddy Robin and the Playboys produced judge the script, which is very important, a great director.” a string of local hits, including a cover and I am good with judging stars. Andy Currently Robin is helping a few young of “Pretty Blue Eyes”, fi rst made famous Lau was in Once Upon a Rainbow (1982), fi lmmakers to get their fi rst productions by American Steve Lawrence in the late which I produced. It was his fi rst fi lm. I made. 1950s. They also dabbled, quite superbly, knew he would be big. “They come to me,” he says. “But I in psychedelia (“Magic Colours”), as they “When I fi nally got into the fi lm indus- have to reject a lot (of them). I have good followed the trends charted by The Beatles. try I wanted to make fi lms with something instincts. If I can help youngsters I feel “I never thought our band would make to say, but you have to make sure people good about that.” Our pick of city events from July 5 to 14 Neon in a new light Hong Kong’s colorful neon signs are a long-loved feature of the city. Through the lens of photographer Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze, some of these have been transformed into poetry in neon. It’s as if an extra layer of meaning has been added to Chinese characters — an art form that combines visual imagery with language. The photographer’s wife helped him translate the signs to deepen his knowledge of the city and its Cantonese culture. City Poetry by Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze Organized by Blue Lotus Gallery Dates: Until July 14 Venue: Blue Lotus Gallery, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan Body of work https://bluelotus-gallery.com/new-events/2019/6/6/ An exhibition of drawings, paintings and solo-exhibition-city-poetry-by-romain-jacquet-lagrze Into the woods notebooks of Lee Wen aims to shed light on how the recently deceased performance art- When super Typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong in September, the city’s ist used drawing as the foundation of his art. trees suffered serious damage, with many beautiful species lost. The upside, Dated between 1978 and 2014, the exhibits perhaps, was a renewed awareness of the need to protect the environment provide a documentation of Lee’s idea of the body in performance as a political entity and the importance of trees for biodiversity. Asia Society’s new exhibition and the dynamic it shares with the natural was inspired by the loss of plant life due to natural disaster. and social worlds. Videos of Lee’s perfor- The interactive, cross-disciplinary summer show explores the importance mances are also on show. of trees in Hong Kong’s environment, culture and history. The program IF YOU GO includes an art exhibition, music performances, workshops and nature Hidden Forests Form Colour Action: Sketchbooks and tours, all aimed at building awareness of forestry and biodiversity. The two- Hosted by Asia Society Hong Kong Notebooks of Lee Wen Dates: July 6 to Sept 8 Organized by Asia Art Archive month show opens with a family-oriented Environmental Fun Day on July Venue: Asia Society Hong Kong Dates: Until Sept 13 6. Various activities such as story-telling, scavenger hunt, origami workshop Center, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty Venue: AAA Library, Asia Art Archive, and wood-carving demonstration will be followed by a chamber music https://asiasociety.org 11/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, performance of Ode to Trees.