Hong Kong star Chow Yun-Fat, attending Busan International Film Festival where he has been named Asian Filmmaker of the Year, talked about the challenges facing Hong Kong cinema at a press event today.
When asked about the current state of Hong Kong films, the star of iconic movies such as The Killer and A Better Tomorrow said: “Mainland China has a lot of requirements so our scripts must go through many different departments. We have many restrictions now so it’s difficult for Hong Kong filmmakers. But the mainland China market is huge, so we have to find some solution to work there.”
He also said Korean cinema is currently strong because it enjoys some of the creative freedoms that Hong Kong films lack: “The biggest competitive element of Korean film is its freedom and the range of genres and topics they can produce.”
“Every country’s cinema has its golden moment,” he continued. “At one time it was Hong Kong, now I’m very glad it’s Korea’s moment and that Korean films are being recognised by Hollywood.”
However, Chow also talked about the fact that even Korean movies are currently having a hard time at the local box office, putting the blame down to changing audience habits during the pandemic.
“During the past three years, many people got used to watching films on platforms instead of going to the cinema, including many classic films, so the entire global film industry faces this stuation, not just Korea. Now we have to contemplate what kind of subjects we should deal with in Hong Kong cinema to appeal to the audience.”
“But honestly, we will still try our best to make our Hong Kong spirit movies.”
Chow’s fans have recently been worried about the star’s health as he’s lost a considerable amount of weight. But he said he’s been jogging every day in Busan and plans to run a half-marathon in Hong Kong. He also talked about how his Buddhist beliefs keep him grounded: “Everything is an illusion so the best we can do is just to keep living in the present.”
Chow is being feted at the festival through the screening of two of his most iconic films – Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow – as well as recent release Once More Chance, directed by Anthony Pun.
