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Chinese language cinema

Chinese language cinema
From Andy Lau to John Woo, from Jiang Wen to Tsai Ming-liang to Sylvia Chang, and from triads to kung fu to hopping vampires to costume epics, this is the place to go for features, interviews and reviews about Chinese-language movies from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.
Chow Yun-fat (left) and Cora Miao in a still from Love in a Fallen City (1984), directed by Ann Hui.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

What happened when Ann Hui adapted Eileen Chang’s classic stories?

Director Ann Hui has adapted three of Eileen Chang’s stories for the big screen. We look at two: Love in a Fallen City and Eighteen Springs.

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Hong Kong society

Student in contentious Hong Kong documentary hits out at Italian screening plan

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong IP festival Con-Con draws crowds on opening day

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong documentary pulled from cinemas 3 years ago to be screened in Italy

To My Nineteen-year-old Self will be shown at Far East Film Festival after withdrawal in 2023 over lack of consent from interviewees.

A still from Mabel Cheung’s documentary To My Nineteen-year-old Self. Photo: Golden Scene
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Why fierce mothers and violent monsters star in Joe Hsieh’s animations

Taiwanese director Hsieh reflects on the strength of women, preferring hand-drawn animation over AI, and using violence in film.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | We’re Nothing at All: Herman Yau’s grim social critique lacks all subtlety

A gripping drama, We’re Nothing at All explores societal apathy through a tragic bus blast – but its heavy-handed approach may deter viewers.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 Anthony Wong films from the early 90s that show his wide acting range

Before becoming stereotyped for extreme roles, Wong gave nuanced turns as a whiny gangster opposite Chow Yun-fat and as Veronica Yip’s tormentor.

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Anthony Wong in a still from Full Contact. The Hong Kong actor’s restrained turn as a cowardly gangster brought realism to the otherwise comic book-style 1992 action film.
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Leslie Cheung broke all the rules to become a Hong Kong superstar

The music and cinema legend’s artistry, vulnerability and defiance in a conservative Asian society forever reshaped Hong Kong pop culture.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How director Benny Chan bridged old-school stunts and modern action

2003’s Heroic Duo and 2007’s Invisible Target were full of the director’s flair for action, reckless stunts and literal explosive scenes.

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American cinema

How the eye-catchingly sexist DOA: Dead or Alive survived chaotic China shoot

Filmed at Hengdian World Studios, DOA: Dead or Alive helped pioneer East-West cinema collaboration – even if it bombed at the box office.

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Holly Valance (right) in a still from DOA: Dead or Alive (2006). Filmed in Hong Kong, mainland China and Thailand, it made just US$7.7 million on a US$30 million budget, and barely secured a release in America.
On Our Radar

Hong Kong International Film Festival brings out the big guns for its 50th year

The city’s flagship cinema event marks its Golden Jubilee with a global slate, major auteurs and a spotlight on Asian storytelling.

Yeo Yann Yann and Andi Lim in a still from We Are All Strangers, directed by Anthony Chen. Photo: courtesy Giraffe Pictures.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ciao UFO: Charlene Choi leads nostalgic trip through Hong Kong history

Chui Tien-you and Wong You-nam join Charlene Choi in Patrick Leung’s poignant character drama that finally arrives at cinemas after debuting in 2019.

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Asian cinema

Best movies to watch at the Hong Kong International Film Festival 2026

Silent Friend, Sirat, Good Boy and Pillion are among our top picks at this year’s festival, which is celebrating its 50th edition.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Herman Yau transitioned from gory cult films to action blockbusters

Once known for Category III shockers such as Ebola Syndrome, Herman Yau has become the go-to director for action blockbusters.

Hong Kong filmmaker Herman Yau. We examine the Hong Kong director’s journey from cult horror films to action blockbusters. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | From TVB queen to YouTube star, how Carol ‘Dodo’ Cheng does it all

Hong Kong icon Carol “Dodo” Cheng has worn many hats – actor, television host, content creator – continually reinventing herself across five decades.

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Carol “Dodo” Cheng at an interview with the SCMP in 2004. We examine the Hong Kong star’s journey from actor to content creator on YouTube. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Gamer Girls: Angela Yuen leads beguiling Hong Kong esports drama

This engaging tale of an all-female esports team delivers an underdog story with a light touch and punches well above its modest budget.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

This Hong Kong martial arts movie pioneered the superhero team in Chinese cinema

The Five Venoms launched the iconic run of the Venom Mob, a group of actors brought together by Chang Cheh that appeared in various films.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

This Hong Kong-raised director makes films about outsiders – as she’s one too

Lo’s film explores a little-known Chinese industry, exposing marital crises, gendered social pressures and truths about love, loneliness and agency.

Wang Zhenxi, aka Teacher Wang, is a mistress dispeller based in Luoyang, Henan province. Photo: courtesy Mistress Dispeller
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Girlfriends: Fish Liew and Jennifer Yu reunite for tender lesbian romance

Tracy Choi’s semi-autobiographical, episodic drama gives an intimate portrait of a woman searching for her place at different stages of life.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ultimate Revenge: Hong Kong crime thriller is all brawn and no brains

Loud, action-packed and completely chaotic, Terry Ng’s Ultimate Revenge is packed with thrills but fails to deliver on plot.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Love ‘A Better Tomorrow’? The Hong Kong director and film that inspired it

Patrick Lung Kong was known for films that imparted moral lessons. We look at ‘The Story of a Discharged Prisoner’ and ‘Teddy Girls’.

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The Hong Kong Film Archive of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will commence another mini-showcase of “100 Must-See Hong Kong Movies” at North District Town Hall in November. Picture shows a film still of “A Better Tomorrow” (1986).
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Why Michael Tse, Hong Kong actor behind Laughing Gor, is a lesson in resilience

Michael Tse’s journey from backup dancer to Young and Dangerous henchman to leading film and TV actor showcases his endurance and tenacity.

Michael Tse at an interview with the SCMP in 2009. Tse’s remarkable entertainment journey has led him from backup dancer to the iconic Laughing Gor, viral memes and mainland China stardom. Photo: SCMP
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Scare Out: Zhang Yimou tackles national security in subpar Chinese spy thriller

A story of a mole inside a state security team in China, Scare Out is slickly executed but narratively muddled, and far from Zhang’s best.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Double Happiness: Liu Kuan-ting, Jennifer Yu lead clever wedding comedy

A couple have two simultaneous wedding ceremonies to keep their parents apart in Double Happiness, an ingenious comedy of errors.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How these 2 films became classics of Hong Kong’s Chinese folk opera cinema

Love Eterne and Dream of the Red Chamber are two very different ‘huangmei diao’ films from legendary Hong Kong director Li Han-hsiang.

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Betty Loh Ti (second from right) and Ivy Ling Po (right) in a still from The Love Eterne (1963), directed by Li Han-hsiang. Photo: Shaw Brothers Studio
Asian cinema: Chinese films

How Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers captures the beauty of Singapore

Singaporean director portrays ordinary folk with dignity in the final film in his ‘Growing Up’ trilogy with Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler.

Yeo Yann Yann (left) in a still from We Are All Strangers, the third film in Anthony Chen’s “Growing Up” trilogy. Photo: Giraffe Pictures
American cinema

Why Saving Face is the most important Asian-American lesbian film ever made

Alice Wu fought to film Saving Grace with an all Asian-American cast, and the film inspired a generation of Asian-American filmmakers.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

With Blades of the Guardians, Yuen Woo-ping revives the wuxia blockbuster

Hong Kong martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Woo-ping returns with an epic wuxia, starring Wu Jing and Nicholas Tse.

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