Film Archive to screen 17 Hong Kong films inspired by literary works (with photos)
The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present screening programme "Dancing Between Words and Images – Hong Kong Film and Literature" from December 1 to February 23, 2025, screening 17 Hong Kong films adapted from or inspired by literary works at the Cinema of the HKFA to show the intricate ties between film arts and literature.
The screening programme is divided into five sections. The first section, "Adaptations from Classic Literature", consists of five films adapted from literary classics, namely "A Reborn Romantic" (1948), which reinterprets the plots in literary giant Leo Tolstoy's final novel "Resurrection", highlighting the struggles that women face in a traditional society; "Modern 'Red Chamber Dream'" (1952), which transposes the story of Chinese classical novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" to the 1940s; "A Beautiful Corpse Comes to Life" (1956), adapted from "The Peony Pavilion" from the Ming dynasty, with Cheung Wood-yau and Pak Yin in lead roles; "Sunrise" (1956), which is adapted from a play of the same title by modern Chinese playwright Cao Yu; and "Red Rose White Rose" (1994), adapted from a short story by Eileen Chang, directed by Stanley Kwan and scripted by Edward Lam.
The second section, "Her Stories in the City", covers three films focusing on the psychological journeys of women in an urban setting. "The Rich House" (1942) is a tragic love story between a handsome writer, played by Cheung Wood-yau, and a waitress. "The Tender Age" (1957) reveals the hypocrisy of the upper class through the story of a young girl being ensnared into a life of prostitution. "Her Tender Heart" (1959) depicts the suppression and suffering of a woman, who has given up her family for love and dreams.
　　In the third section, "Reflections of Time", there are three films that explore the changes in social values from the perspective of humanistic concerns. In order to give her husband a male heir, a wife in "The Long Lane" (1956) is burdened by guilt in her deathbed for abandoning her own daughter and adopting a son, played by King Hu, who has grown up to be a disappointment. In "A Widow's Tears" (1956), a recently widowed woman, played by Hsia Moon, after being blamed by her mother-in-law for accepting comforts from her best male friend, decides to leave her husband's family. Through the story, the film illustrates the idea that women should take courage to pursue their own autonomy. "The Seaman and the Dancing Girl" (1961) highlights the darker side of a bustling city with the protagonist working as a nightclub hostess to provide for her family.
The fourth section, "Tales of Love and Romance", features three tender and passionate stories from different periods of time. Renowned actor Patrick Tse played a suave thief targeting wealthy women in "The Heart-Stealer" (1958), who decides to reform himself after falling for a mysterious woman. The story of "Diary of Monita" (1968) begins with the abrupt end of the romance between a rich girl and a poor student. As the girl's family plunges into poverty, the girl's life becomes a series of misadventures. Adapted by Erica Li from her novel, "77 Heartbreaks" (2017) skilfully depicts a romantic relationship from passionate love to its unravelling and how people nowadays navigate their love lives.
Three films adapted from literary works from the period around the turn of the millennium comprise the fifth section, "Made in Hong Kong", which showcases the continuing local creative prowess. The films are "Reincarnation of Golden Lotus" (1989), which is a story of lust and desire told from a woman's perspective and adapted from a novel by the author Lilian Lee herself; "The Mad Phoenix" (1997), adapted from a critically acclaimed stage play by its playwright Raymond To; and "The Midnight After" (2014), which is based on an online serial sci-fi novel written by Kong Ho-yan under the pseudonym "Mr. Pizza" and directed by Fruit Chan.
Most of the screenings will be accompanied by post-screening talks, hosted by scholars Professor Yung Sai-shing, Professor Mary Wong, Professor Wong Nim-yan, Dr Lo Wai-luk, and Dr Kenny Ng; directors Yim Ho and Fruit Chan; screenwriters Raymond To, Kong Ho-yan, and Chan Fai-hung; writer Peter Dunn; film critics Sam Ho, Shu Kei, Eric Tsang and more. The post-screening talk for "Red Rose White Rose" will be attended by director Stanley Kwan and screenwriter Edward Lam, and the talk will be livestreamed online simultaneously. For details, please refer to the programme webpage mentioned below.
"Modern 'Red Chamber Dream'", "Her Tender Heart", "The Long Lane", "The Seaman and the Dancing Girl", and "Diary of Monita" are in Mandarin, while the others are in Cantonese or dubbed in Cantonese.
Tickets priced at $55 will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from Friday (November 1). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please visit the HKFA website (www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2024/literature/pe-event-2024-literature.html) or call 2739 2139.
