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Asian cinema

Asian cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films from the continent's biggest movie production centres.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Morning mist hangs over the tea plantation at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, in the New Territories. Photo: Alexander Mak

Hong Kong’s 1,000-year-old tea heritage is being rediscovered and rehabilitated

Discover Hong Kong’s hidden tea legacy, predating British influence, as a band of young local growers races to safeguard ancient cultivation and traditions.

Reading Time:11 minutes
Stephen Yan with fans in Toronto in 2024. Photo: courtesy Retrokid

Wok with Yan’s return: Hong Kong-Canadian TV chef Stephen Yan reunites with fans decades after disappearing

Reading Time:9 minutes
Bird song was a signature feature of Mong Kok's Wan Loy Teahouse, seen here in 1987. Photo: SCMP Archives

In pictures: 50 years of Hong Kong’s yum cha teahouse tradition

Reading Time:1 minute
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

Reading Time:8 minutes
Handout image shows Alison Gee’s family, Peter Gee (L) and Sam Ward, Los Angeles, United States.

CREDIT: Courtesy Alison Gee

Chinatown: the pride of Los Angeles’ Chinese like my grandfather

Reading Time:10 minutes
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CJ Hendry with a collection of Juju plushies at “Juju World”. Photo: courtesy Pacific Place

From Instagram to Pacific Place: CJ Hendry’s Juju World is a fluffy delight!

Reading Time:5 minutes
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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Filmmaker Chee Keong Cheung on the set of one of his films. Cheung founded the UK’s first action-oriented film studio, Action Xtreme, while his new feature, Bad Day at the Office, will have its world premiere on August 13 at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
European cinema

How this British-Chinese filmmaker aims to build the Blumhouse of action

Inspired by John Woo and Chow Yun-fat, Chee Keong Cheung talks about his Action Xtreme studio and upcoming film Bad Day at the Office.

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American cinema

How did Snow Flower and the Secret Fan become such an ambitious failure?

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Curry and Pepper showed Stephen Chow’s comedy genius before superstardom hit

Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Number One: Parasite stars reunite for food-themed family drama

Choi Woo-sik and Jang Hye-jin star as a pampered son and his doting mother who always cooks for him until tragedy strikes their family.

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Jang Hye-jin (left) and Choi Woo-sik in a still from Number One.
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Back to Love: the Teochew romance that led to smash hit Dear You

Exploring family dynamics and modernity in a heartfelt Teochew romance, Lan Hongchun’s Back to Love charms with its cultural themes.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

10 must-see movies and programmes at Hong Kong’s Summer IFF 2026

This year’s Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival boasts 37 features, from regional premieres to 4K restorations of Hong Kong classics.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

What makes the 1981 horror film The Imp such a terrifying cult classic?

Directed by Dennis Yu, The Imp blends elements of Western horror classics with Taoist beliefs to create a thoroughly modern shocker.

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Charlie Chin in a still from The Imp (1981), a unique, suspenseful Hong Kong horror film that avoids parody and embraces genuine scares.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Daniel Wu is swapping ‘broken’ Hollywood for Hong Kong films

Wu discusses his coming films including Cold War 1995 and the Twilight of the Warriors sequel, and how Hollywood has ‘dropped diversity’.

Art

Hong Kong artist channels Leslie Cheung film Farewell My Concubine for live show

Berlin-based Isaac Chong Wai’s all-male Hong Kong show An Intimate Surrender draws on the 1993 gender-fluid romance to explore vulnerability.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Jacob Cheung’s Cageman and Intimates became his most memorable films

In Cageman, Cheung leaned on social observations and light drama. In lesbian romance Intimates, he focused on romance, not sexual passion.

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A still from the 1992 film Cageman.
Asian cinema: Japanese films

The appeal of Ghibli: why films like Totoro continue to find fans

The US-based Studio Ghibli Fest began in 2017 and, as Ghibli films continue to attract new fans of all ages, it keeps growing.

A scene from the 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro. Studio Ghibli films like Totoro and Spirited Away continue to captivate audiences even today. In the US, the annual Ghibli Fest has been running since 2017. Photo: GKids via AP
Hong Kong entertainment

Screen legend Patrick Tse saved my brother from drowning, woman recalls

Social media user pays tribute to the late actor, reveals how he came to her younger brother’s rescue.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

My Sassy Girl at 25: how Jun Ji-hyun’s star turn changed South Korean cinema

Jun Ji-hyun’s role as a brash young woman in the 2001 romcom subverted gender stereotypes, today inspiring actresses like Park Eun-bin.

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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.

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
K-drama news

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

Returning to the screen after three years, model-turned-actor Nam Joo-hyuk has starred in a number of hit Korean dramas.

Korean actor Nam Joo-hyuk is currently starring in the Netflix K-drama series The East Palace. Photo: Instagram/skawngur
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

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

Since becoming a film star in 1953, ‘Sau Gor’ has adapted to remain a feature of Hong Kong screens, and his recent concert set a world record.

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.

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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.

Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in the film “In The Mood For Love”. Photo: Jet Tone Production
American cinema

East meets West

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

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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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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Dilraba Dilmurat in a still from Kung Fu Soccer, Stephen Chow’s gender-flipped spin-off of his 2001 comedy classic Shaolin Soccer. The Hong Kong director’s first film in seven years lacks tension and has visuals that resemble AI slop.
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.

The key people behind UFO, pictured in 1993: (clockwise from the front) Eric Tsang, Peter Chan, Jacob Cheung, Claudie Chung and Lee Chi-ngai. Photo: SCMP
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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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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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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Women take a photo with “Dear You” posters during its premiere in Singapore on June 17. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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
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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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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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