The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has organised the "Movie Talk" series since 2013. Each instalment of the series focuses on a filmmaker who selects films for screening and discusses his or her inspirations and filmmaking experiences with the audience. The HKFA will launch its latest "Movie Talk" series in March. Film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and special effects and stop motion animation director Alex Cheung has selected three of his works and two of his favourite films for screening at the HKFA Cinema. During the talk of each screening, Cheung will speak with other filmmakers, critics, a scholar and a music producer about his filmmaking experience over the years and the inspiration he received from the selected masterworks.
Alex Cheung started his career as a television programme director. With the help of filmmaker Teddy Robin and former police superintendent Philip Chan, Cheung directed his first film "Cops and Robbers" (1979). The exciting story between a formerly unsuccessful police applicant who becomes a psycho killer and the righteous police team features a fast-paced gunfight in the city and a squatter area. As a critically acclaimed box office hit, the film is considered as one of the ground-breaking works of the Hong Kong New Wave. The screening also includes Cheung's legendary experimental short film "Come Together" (1974), showcasing his creativity in producing innovative work regardless of the restrictions in shooting techniques.
"Man on the Brink" (1981) is a pioneering work among undercover cop films. It won Cheung the Best Director prize at the 19th Golden Horse Awards. Following the steps of lead character Ah Chiu, audiences can observe his internal conflict between being a cop and a triad member. The film also brings back scenes of the Kowloon Walled City, the Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market and a public housing estate from the early 1980s on the screen.
The English movie "Blow-Up" (1966) features a photographer who randomly takes a photo of a young couple in a park. The lady's persistence in getting back the photo original makes the photographer curious. When blowing up the photo for investigation, the photographer realises that he may have captured proof of a murder. Cheung described the movie as the one that opened his mind to the way that truth is determined by how others' trust and recognition are received.
Based on the novel "Don Quixote", "Man of La Mancha" (1972) is about an imprisoned scriptwriter playing the role of Don Quixote, who imagines himself as a knight. Having grown up in a modest family, Cheung was once timid in chasing his dreams. However, his life was completely different after being inspired by the film's message that everyone can be a dreamcatcher.
"Cops and Robbers" and "Man on the Brink" are in Cantonese. "Blow-Up" and "Man of La Mancha" are in English. "Come Together" is without dialogue. "Man on the Brink" is with Chinese and English subtitles. "Blow-Up" and "Man of La Mancha" are with Chinese subtitles, while "Cops and Robbers" and "Come Together" are without subtitles.
Tickets priced at $45 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or visit www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en_US/web/hkfa/programmesandexhibitions/2019mt-alexcheung/index.html.
Follow this news feed: East Asia