It’s fade out for Hong Kong’s film industry as China moves into the spotlight
Hong Kong produced 400 films a year in the early 90s, but that number has dropped to around 60 today
Still remember Bruce Lee’s cat calls, Wong Kar-wai’s impressionistic visuals in Chungking Express and Stephen Chow’s “mo-lei-tau” (nonsensical) comedies?
For almost three decades starting in the 1970s, there was nothing like it as Hong Kong’s film industry catapulted a large number of Asian A-listers to international stardom. But the golden days are long gone.
Hong Kong films have had little to no presence in recent years at Europe’s top film festivals – Berlin, Cannes and Venice – contrary to their heyday when the cast and crew of Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love and Happy Together strolled down red carpets while bagging top honours, among them Best Actor and Best Director trophies.