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Asian cinema

Asian cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films from the continent's biggest movie production centres.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Chunling Fong, director of Farmhouse Production in Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

Can this new wave of Hong Kong farmers bring agriculture back to the city?

Netflix docu Kiss The Ground argues that sustainable regenerative farming practices are a potential solution to our climate crisis – meet the Hong Kong food producers getting down to earth.

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Plaques that form part of the Benin Bronzes, which were taken from Africa by British troops in 1897, on display at The British Museum in London. Photo: Getty Images

Should museums return antiquities to their countries of origin? Some say no

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The inaugural ceremony of the Tian Tan Buddha statue rising before the Po Lin Temple on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, in 1993. Photo: SCMP Archives

The rocky path to enlightenment: the building of Hong Kong’s Big Buddha

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St Vincent at Clockenflap at Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong, in November. Photo: Clockenflap

Our favourite PostMag music stories of 2024, from Herbie Hancock to St Vincent

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Darkside’s new cocktail menu features classic recipes from the 1920s and 1930s. Photo: DarkSide

Your perfect week: what to do in Hong Kong, December 23-28

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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Dayo Wong (left) and Michael Hui in a still from The Last Dance (category IIB; Cantonese), directed by Anselm Chan. Michelle Wai co-stars. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Last Dance: Dayo Wong, Michael Hui in exquisite funeral drama

Comic actors excel in purely dramatic roles, but Michelle Wai steals the show in an engrossing film that champions female empowerment.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How the Erotic Ghost Story films shocked and seduced Hong Kong

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Takeshi Kaneshiro, Hong Kong cinema’s ‘most good-looking’ actor

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How actress Shu Qi went from soft-porn to mainstream cinema, and now filmmaking

‘A hard-working actress’ who ‘can do anything she wants to do’, a director once said of Shu Qi – a remark borne out by her subsequent career.

Shu Qi on the red carpet at the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2015. A director once described her as “a hardworking actress” who “can do anything she wants to do”, an observation proven by her career since. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Gillian Chung has risen above the Edison Chen photo scandal to thrive

Gillian Chung, one half of Hong Kong Cantopop duo Twins, is thriving as a singer and actress, but the road to success – marred by a scandal involving intimate photos – has not been an easy one.

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | From Hong Kong movie darling to ‘poison’: how Cecilia Cheung overcame scandals

Actress Cecilia Cheung’s personal life has never been far from the spotlight since her debut in 1999. Following scandal she moved to mainland China, where she promotes fashion brands on social media.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

4 very different Hong Kong romance films from the 2000s to watch

From July Rhapsody with Jacky Cheung to Love in a Puff with Miriam Yeung and Andy Lau in Love on a Diet, these movies offered something new.

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18. Love in a Puff
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Leslie Cheung shone in Farewell My Concubine and Temptress Moon

Cheung’s turns opposite Gong Li as a gay opera singer and a gigolo in 20th century China were two of his best, but both fell foul of censors.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 things that helped make 1994’s Chungking Express a classic film

Wong Kar-wai film’s cinematography, soundtrack and use of Hong Kong locations for shooting produced a defining moment in Hong Kong cinema.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

11 films that best show the acting chops of Hong Kong’s Anita Mui

Anita Mui’s remarkable versatility made her characters captivating to watch in films that co-starred names like Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-fat.

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Tony Leung Ka-fai, Chow Yun-fat and Anita Mui in a still from A Better Tomorrow III. Photo: Fortune Star Media Limited
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Hong Kong films released in 2024, ranked from worst to best

From We 12 to Papa, Fly Me to the Moon and The Last Dance, our ranking of the Hong Kong films that hit cinemas in the course of the year.

Dayo Wong Tze-wah in a still from The Last Dance. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Hidden Face, a Korean erotic thriller, serves up scandalous fun

This sexy K-movie follows a conductor who sleeps with the replacement player for his cellist fiancée, who seems to have disappeared.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 of John Woo’s lesser known action films, one so violent it was shelved

A triad movie with a young Stephen Chow, a crude war film and a crime caper starring Leslie Cheung. These 3 Woo projects fly under the radar.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The 12 best Asian films of 2024, including The Last Dance

From a Thai tear-jerker to a Korean cross-dressing romcom and a hand-drawn Japanese anime, our pick of the best Asian films of the past year.

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Michael Hui in a still from The Last Dance.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Prosecutor: Donnie Yen literally fights for justice in court drama

The Prosecutor offers great action from Donnie Yen but with its simplistic representation of justice, don’t expect a hard-hitting drama.

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Donnie Yen in a still from The Prosecutor.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Last Song for You: Natalie Hsu melts hearts in poignant fantasy romance

Natalie Hsu, helped by Ekin Cheng and Mirror’s Ian Chan, shines in this Hong Kong healing drama about memories, regret and lost love.

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Cinema

Saudi Arabia’s shifting attitudes towards cinema, from film ban to festival

For 35 years, film was banned in Saudi Arabia. Now it is investing in the industry, building cinemas and hosting global stars at a festival.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Stephen Chow’s ‘heroic’ makeover for Fight Back to School movies

Known for lowbrow comedies and playing the underdog, Chow was successfully recast as a suave hero, playing a cop undercover as a schoolboy.

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Stephen Chow Sing-chi in a still from Fight Back to School (1991). The comedy star had a “heroic” image makeover for this film and its sequel, and all three films were a showcase for his comedic genius. Photo: Win’s Movie Production & I/E Co. Ltd
K-drama news

Profile | Meet Lim Ji-yeon, star of K-dramas The Glory and The Tale of Lady Ok

Lim found fame in steamy drama Obsessed, stopped being typecast after her role in The Glory, and has not looked back since.

Hong Kong

Q&A | Why Papa’s stand-out actress Jo Koo has never had a manager

The veteran actress on working with Philip Yung and Sean Lau, learning about psychosis, and her debut in a 1998 Fruit Chan film.

Iran

What drives this actress in Iran? ‘I wanted to earn respect’

Actress Fereshte Hosseini, born to Afghan immigrants in Iran, wants to help end prejudice against Afghans in the country, many refugees.

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Actress Fereshte Hosseini (pictured), born to Afghan immigrants in Iran, wants to help wipe away prejudice against Afghans in her adopted country through her acting. Photo: DPA/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Haunting Call: Lin Min-chen sees ghosts in subpar Danny Pang horror

A live streamer steals a mobile phone that serves as an instrument of revenge for a ghost she befriends. Intriguing, but don’t expect scares.

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Lin Min-chen in a still from Haunting Call.
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Daughter’s Daughter: Sylvia Chang anchors intricate women’s drama

Hou Hsiao-hsien acolyte Huang Xi’s second feature is an absorbing, skilfully crafted family drama anchored by Chang’s nuanced performance.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an exciting prequel

Kenji Kamiyama directs this animated film set 200 years before LotR and starring the voices of Gaia Wise, Brian Cox and Luke Pasqualino.

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Cinema

Not yet at home in exile, Iranian filmmaker lives in the world of cinema

For The Seed of the Sacred Fig director Mohammad Rasoulof, a winner in Cannes weeks after fleeing Iran for Germany, exile hasn’t sunk in.

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Exiled Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof. Photo: EPA-EFE
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Ip Man movies without Donnie Yen, including a Wong Kar-wai version

The Ip Man story has been explored in multiple films, from Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster starring Tony Leung to one featuring Anthony Wong.

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Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from The Grandmaster. Photo: Jet Tone Films
Art

5 of the best films by Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke

Discover Jia’s cinematic brilliance over the years with 5 must-watch films, from his gritty debut Xiao Wu to the violent A Touch of Sin.

South Korea

Jung Woo-sung’s apology sparks debate on single-parent families in South Korea

The actor’s apology for fathering a child outside of marriage raised issues of deep-rooted cultural stigmas and systemic inequities faced by single-parent families.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

10 snake-themed Chinese-language movies for coming Year of the Snake

From takes on the Legend of the White Snake to baffling tales of half-snake girls and soft-core erotica, 10 movies for the Year of the Snake.

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A still from Anaconda (2024), one of our picks of the best Chinese snake movies.
A still from Anaconda (2024), one of our picks of the best Chinese snake movies.
Books and literature

5 notable screen adaptations of Chiung Yao romance novels

More than 70 adaptations of the prolific Taiwanese romance author’s books were made for TV and cinema. Some made stars of their cast members.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Papa: Lau Ching-wan shines in haunting true-crime family drama

Lau’s character experiences a maelstrom of emotions after his son kills his wife and daughter in Philip Yung’s sublime human drama.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How actor Lau Ching-wan added subtlety to his complex role in Papa

Lau talks about the nuances of playing a father whose wife and daughter are killed by his schizophrenic son in a film based on actual events.

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Lau Ching-wan, who plays the title role in Papa. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The rise and fall of Hong Kong’s ‘middle class’ film studio

D&B films, started by watch retailer Dickson Poon, launched Michelle Yeoh’s action-movie career and was known for its ‘middle class values’.

Cynthia Rothrock (left) and Michelle Yeoh in a still from Yes, Madam! (1985), made by D&B Films, a studio founded by watch retailer Dickson Poon, who would go on to marry Yeoh. Photo: Handout
Cynthia Rothrock (left) and Michelle Yeoh in a still from Yes, Madam! (1985), made by D&B Films, a studio founded by watch retailer Dickson Poon, who would go on to marry Yeoh. Photo: Handout
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Fresh Off Markham, second-rate comedy about Chinese immigrant experience

Despite interesting cultural observations in the first third, this comedy thriller is let down by poor writing and very stilted performances.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | An Abandoned Team, feel-good dog rescue drama led by Lawrence Cheng

Get ready for a corny but wholesome story about a cantankerous old man whose bond with a dog opens a door to more new connections.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Hiroyuki Sanada on how he gave Shogun a real Japanese perspective

Sanada, who has appeared in Japanese films and US blockbusters, talks about making the cultural references in TV series Shogun authentic.

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Hiroyuki Sanada in a still from Shogun. Photo: Disney+.