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Film - "Made
in Hong Kong" series, 2008
(adapted from the Freer
Gallery's program
for June-August 2008)
Thirteenth Annual Made in Hong
Kong Film Festival - July-Aug. 2008
This year's festival features a selection of film, new and old, that highlights
Hong Kong's cinematic achievements. This festival is cosponsored by the
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. All films are in Cantonese with English
subtitles unless otherwise indicated.
Exiled
Friday, July 11, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 13, 2 p.m.
Glenn Kenny of Premiere Magazine calls Johnny To's Exiled
"one of his most assured, enjoyable pictures, refreshing fun that's
sure to satisfy anyone's action jones." In the anxious atmosphere
of Macau's final days as a Portuguese colony in 1998, four hitmen resolve
to team up for one final big score before the island is handed over to
Chinese rule.
My Name is Fame
Friday, July 18, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 20, 2 p.m.
This drama by Lawrence Lau is one of the treasures of recent Hong Kong
cinema. Lau Ching-wan stars as a bitter, washed-up actor who begrudgingly
takes an aspiring ingénue (Huo Si-yan) under his wing. Her growing
success inspires in him a mixture of jealousy, affection, and a desire
to return to the silver screen. Watch for cameo appearances by some of
Hong Kong's well-known actors and directors.
Exodus
Friday, July 25, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 27, 2 p.m.
This wickedly clever, satirical thriller by Pang Ho-cheung begins with
a Hong Kong police detective interrogating a Peeping Tom under arrest
for spying on a women's restroom. He claims, however, that he was eavesdropping
on a vast conspiracy to rid the planet of men. Pang keeps the viewer guessing
right up to the end: are women really conspiring to rid the world of the
less-necessary gender, or has the detective been hoodwinked?
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt
Friday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m.
Ann Hui's latest film, based on a popular novel by Yan Yan, mixes comedy
and poignancy in a tale of a sixtysomething woman who lives alone in Shanghai
and is trying to cope with both financial woes and the impersonal city
around her. Chow Yun-fat hilariously spoofs his famously suave screen
persona and adds to the film's charm by playing a smarmy con man.
Shaolin Soccer
Friday, Aug. 8, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 10, 2 p.m.
Stephen Chow both directs and stars in this special effects filled farce,
playing a down-on-his-luck goofball who just happens to be trained in
the Shaolin school of martial arts. This training gives him and his fellow
monks extraordinary abilities that come in handy in their soccer showdown
with "Team Evil." The film's "infectious style has a way
of lifting spirits. You don't have to be a fan of soccer or kung fu to
enjoy it" (Claudia Puig, USA Today).
As Tears Go By
Friday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m.
Wong Kar-wai gained an enthusiastic cult following with such films as
Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love, and 2046.
He made his directing debut with this gang-world saga about a criminal
whose protective instincts lead to tragic consequences. Evident here are
characteristics of Wong's later style—a lush, moody atmosphere, dazzling
camerawork, and tender moments underscored by melancholy pop songs—that
established him as one of Hong Kong's most distinctive filmmakers.
Triangle
Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24, 2 p.m.
Hong Kong legends Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Johnny To teamed up for this
cinematic game based on Hark's idea for a collaborative film. Each director
contributed a section to this continuous story, freely using his own methods
and taking the plot in any direction he wanted. The result is both a primer
in the unique styles of these directors and an enjoyable romp about a
robbery gone wrong.
This
page created August 2010 - Last modified August 25, 2010
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