Opinion | How Hong Kong’s film industry can reinvent itself for a global audience

Towards the end of 2020, two Hong Kong-mainland co-produced films gained a positive reception in mainland China, both in terms of box office receipts and critics’ response. Shock Wave 2 earned 630.7 million yuan (US$97.6 million) while Caught in Time took in 520 million yuan. The films ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in the mainland’s national box office.

Shock Wave 2, in particular, received a round of applause among film critics. Mainland magazine Life Week called it “the best Hong Kong film in a long while”. Herman Yau and Andy Lau’s action drama broke the 100 million admission threshold within 14 hours of its release in December.

While some Hong Kong filmmakers are pessimistic about the co-production model and fearful of losing artistic freedom, such concerns are overblown. Hong Kong filmmakers have the ability, talent and skill to slowly introduce ideas like critical thinking to viewers on the mainland in creative ways.

Co-production with mainland companies is only one of many possibilities. Hong Kong cinema’s legacy remains in the minds of many overseas audiences. From the 1970s, before mainland films gained international awareness among a niche audience through appearances at European film festivals, Hong Kong films were part of many people’s life. Their international popularity remained strong throughout the 1980s and 1990s.