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Asian cinema

Asian cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films from the continent's biggest movie production centres.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
The stuffed crab shell at Seventh Son is dipped in egg and breadcrumbs twice before being fried. Photo: Alexander Mak

Masters of Hong Kong’s ‘kung fu’ cuisine on the struggle to save Cantonese classics

The labour-intensive ‘kung fu’ dishes that once defined Cantonese cuisine are on the brink of extinction. Here, three Hong Kong chefs reveal the secrets of these vanishing recipes.

Reading Time:8 minutes
Rail and road in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. Photo: Xinhua

Rail and road: the benefits of China’s full-system transport makeovers

Reading Time:4 minutes
Engineers at the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: Liu Heung-shing

The human faces of China’s belt and road strategy, through Liu Heung-shing’s lens

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A wig factory in Aberdeen in 1967. Photo: SCMP Archives

In pictures: ‘Made in Hong Kong’ - craft industries that built the city

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A hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Photo: Getty Images

China’s regional cuisines: survival strategies written in flavours

Reading Time:5 minutes
Louis Ho Kwok-biu, fourth-generation master carpenter of Sze Cheung, at his store in Yau Ma Tei. Photo: Alexander Mak

Hong Kong master carpenter Louis Ho on being the last of his line

Reading Time:5 minutes
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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung poses for a picture in 1991. Cheung was prolific between 1984 and 2010, appearing in dozens of films as a pretty “vase” character and later proving her range in more demanding roles. Photo: SCMP/TVB Weekly
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Maggie Cheung went from commercial film eye candy to art-house legend

After being cast for her looks early in her career, Cheung proved herself in serious roles, then stepped away from the industry altogether.

K-drama news

Profile | Who is Nam Joo-hyuk, star of Netflix K-drama The East Palace?

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How 94-year-old Bowie Woo became Hong Kong’s ultimate evergreen entertainer

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Prolific Hong Kong director Andrew Lau looks back on his most iconic films

From the Young and Dangerous series to The Storm Riders and Infernal Affairs, Andrew Lau has captivated audiences for decades.

Hong Kong filmmaker Andrew Lau is photographed at the New York Asian Film Festival, where he is the 2026 Filmmaker in Focus. Photo: Chris Kammerud
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Classic Hong Kong cinema

In this feature series on the best of Hong Kong cinema, we examine the legacy of classic films, re-evaluate the careers of its greatest stars and revisit some of the lesser-known aspects of the beloved industry.

American cinema

East meets West

In this feature series, we spotlight world cinema where East meets West, including notable China-US co-productions.

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Film reviews

Review | The President’s Cake: Cannes-winning Iraqi drama is an instant classic

Hasan Hadi’s profound film follows a young Iraqi girl trying to find ingredients for a cake to celebrate Saddam Hussein’s birthday.

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Baneen Ahmad Nayyef (kneeling) in a still from The President’s Cake (category IIA, Arabic), directed by Hasan Hadi. Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Sajad Mohamad Qasem co-star.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Kung Fu Soccer: Stephen Chow loses his touch with Shaolin Soccer spin-off

Dilraba Dilmurat and Zhang Xiaofei lead a team of female football martial artists in Chow’s film that falls far short of its 2001 predecessor.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How pioneering studio UFO redefined early-1990s Hong Kong cinema

Peter Chan’s studio revolutionised Hong Kong cinema, scoring numerous hits during its short life, such as Comrades, Almost a Love Story.

European cinema

Why flop movie Shatter is a perfect 1970s Hong Kong time capsule

Shatter, featuring Peter Cushing, Lily Li and Ti Lung, was a box office failure in 1974, but offered a glimpse of a Hong Kong in transition.

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Stuart Whitman in a still from Shatter, a collaboration between the UK’s Hammer Film Productions and Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studio. Photo: Hammer
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

6 surprising facts from Jet Li’s new book, including his near-death moment

From his many names to dishwasher woes, Beyond Life and Death shares things about the Chinese martial artist fans may not have been aware of.

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In his new book Beyond Life and Death: The Way of True Freedom, Li says he has always been searching for his true self, and finally found it through practising Tibetan Buddhism. He wrote the book to share the spiritual benefits of these practices. Photo: handout
Singapore

Do Singapore ministers watch films? Joke raises hackles amid dialect debate

The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats.

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Mainland China

Video | How a Chinese indie film conquered the box office

Lan Hongchun’s story about love, loyalty and immigrant struggles has struck a chord with the overseas Chinese diaspora, topping the box office with US$290 million.

Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | A Dance with Rainbows: Taiwanese coming-of-age boxing drama packs a punch

Director Lee Yi-shan delivers a quietly powerful Taiwanese sports drama in A Dance with Rainbows, starring Lin Yi-ting.

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Lin Yi-ting in a still from A Dance with Rainbows (category IIA, Mandarin and Minnan), directed by Lee Yi-shan. Tsai Chen-nan and Yu An-shun co-star.
Hong Kong culture

Opinion | Before we hail Hong Kong cinema’s return, let’s ensure its survival

The rules we make around artificial intelligence and creative work today will define what the city’s culture and economy look like tomorrow.

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A patron visits the “Hong Kong Film Archive Stories: Treasure Hunting for 25 Years” exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Photo: Karma Lo
Asian cinema: Korean films

‘Oldboy’ Choi Min-sik on revenge, craft and Notes from the Last Row

Choi Min-sik points out parallels between 2003’s Oldboy and his new role in Netflix series Notes from the Last Row.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Beyond The Killer: why Law with Two Phases is Danny Lee’s best police film

Danny Lee’s nuanced role in Law with Two Phases redefined Hong Kong police dramas, showcasing gritty realism and complex character arcs.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Twins’ Charlene Choi went from Cantopop teen idol to top Hong Kong actress

Since finding fame with Twins’ Gillian Chung 25 years ago, “Ah Sa” has navigated scandals and reinvented herself to become a force in showbiz.

Charlene Choi on the red carpet of the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, in April 2015. Choi was nominated for the best actress award that year for her role in the film Sara. Photo: Sam Tsang
Fame and celebrity

California to institute Bruce Lee Day, in first for a Chinese-American

May 17, the day Lee returned to San Francisco after spending his childhood in Hong Kong, will be his annual namesake day.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Unidentified Murder: twisty Hong Kong comedy shows admirable ambition

This award-winning comedy about an online prank that ends in a murder is a quirky story underpinned by the performances of its lead actors.

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American cinema

‘I benefited’: Renny Harlin on working in China during its ‘Wild East’ film era

The Finnish filmmaker talks about the ‘great’ years he spent in China during its pre-pandemic film boom and how using AI can benefit movies.

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Director Renny Harlin during the Director Masterclass at the Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta on June 26. Photo: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock for Mediterrane Film Festival.
Hong Kong

Will Fosun’s luxury project revive Hong Kong’s Movietown magic?

Fosun Group begins HK$10 billion transformation of legendary studio, signalling confidence in Hong Kong’s property recovery.

Fosun International chairman Guo Guangchang speaks Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony of a HK$10 billion residential project at the site of the Shaw Brothers studio in Clear Water Bay. Photo: Fosun
TV shows and streaming video

Review | Human Vapor: Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi anchor Netflix’s bold sci-fi thriller reboot

This exciting tale of a mysterious serial killer who can turn into a murderous cloud of gas is a reimagining of a classic Japanese thriller.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Running on Karma with Andy Lau hid a Buddhist tragedy behind muscles

Lau played a muscular monk-turned-stripper with karmic visions opposite Cecilia Cheung in this film that began light and then got grim.

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Cinema

From the Vault: culturally significant films

In the From the Vault feature series, the South China Morning Post’s film experts reflect on culturally significant films celebrating notable anniversaries.

South China Morning Post’s From the Vault series looks back at culturally significant films. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Will Dear You’s smash success push Singapore to ease dialect film policies?

Extra Teochew shows of the indie hit signal ‘increasing liberalisation’ towards dialect films, but long-term changes will take time, analysts say.

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A woman takes photos during the special screening of “Dear You” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 18. Photo: Xinhua
Asian cinema: Korean films

What’s showing this year at Asia’s top genre film festival BiFan?

The 2026 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival boasts a formidable programme of horror, action, science fiction and fantasy titles.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Fennie Yuen went from Hong Kong teen idol to serious actress

A popular Hong Kong actress in the 1980s and 90s, Yuen started in teen comedies like the Happy Ghost films before pivoting to dramatic roles.

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