Is the HK Film Industry a bygone Era?

Caroline Dobson
Epoch Times Staff

After the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2010, it was timely to reminisce about the peak time of when Hong Kong films were at its best.

The Hong Kong film industry』s status as a leading Asian movie powerhouse used to produce around 300 movies a year with an avid following in Asia and around the world twenty years ago.

Notable names like Chow Yun-Fat, who was dubbed the 「the coolest actor in the world」 in recent times by the Los Angeles Times and director John Woo, revolutionised Hong Kong movies in the 1980』s. Iconic films such as 「A Better Tomorrow」 and 「The Killer」 came to the screens at that time.

Woo is an acclaimed director in Hollywood as well with directorial credits such as 「Face Off」 and 「Mission: Impossible II.」 He also was behind the production of 1992 cop thriller 「Hard Boiled」, which set a benchmark for Hong Kong』s action film pop culture.

「That』s when Hong Kong film was in its golden age,」 said director Mabel Cheung in an interview with AFP, who jointly produced the drama 「Echoes of the Rainbow」, which won the Berlin International Film Festival』s Crystal Bear Award in February.

「There was a big market for Hong Kong films with all of these big names back then who were just starting. It was a very exciting time.」

The gradual slump in the popularity and production of Hong Kong films has some of the industry attempting to rely on the mainland Chinese platform. However, there are several contributing reasons for downfall of Hong Kong』s film industry.

Leading names like Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo have preferred to invest their craft in Hollywood. Technology and special effects have also been key factors for other markets like Japan and Korea to be tough competition in the martial arts genre. Another controversial reason for certain actors departing the Hong Kong』s film industry could be related to the mafia infiltration which tainted the artistic integrity of actors and directors into the film industry, as well as glorifying gangsters and mafia in the mainstream.

One poignant example of the extent of triads penetrating the Special Administrative Region was actress Carina Lau』s ( Lau Kar-ling ) ordeal in 1990 where she was photographed topless against her will and had her photograph published on the front cover of East Week in 2002.

Although the identity of the woman was not revealed due to her eyes being masked, unofficial reports had always indicated she was the victim involved. 18 years after the incident in 2008, the popular actress admitted she was indeed the female celebrity implicated and claimed that because she had turned down a role in a film that was endorsed by the triads, she suffered their retaliation.

According to AFP reports, by 2003 Hong Kong』s film production had plummeted to around 55 films a year, along with dismal box office results as well. Moreover the number of Hong Kong productions - estimated to contribute about $4.25 billion US dollars annually to the local economy – has begun to climb in recent years and the government is investing more money into a film development department.

The industry is competitive already, with other ever expanding reputable moviemakers in Taiwan, Korea and Japan and even India.. Also there is no doubt it is exposed to piracy and bootlegging issues of movies being available on the black market even before they are available in cinemas. The future of Hong Kong film could focus on the mainland Chinese market.

「The (industry) is coming back because of the huge market in China,」 said Brian Chung, chief executive of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association in an interview with AFP.

Hong Kong directors, who are more savvy at connecting with an international audience, could be better placed than the mainland producers, who may be less experienced and global in their outlook, said Chung.

「The advantage Hong Kong directors have is that they can make a commercial film better than a director in China,」 he told AFP.

Jacob Wong, curator of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society believes that Hong Kong directors should turn their attention to 「where people use chopsticks」, however the pressing issue of film censorship-heavy mainland China remains.

「I』m cautiously optimistic about the industry,」 he said in an interview with AFP. 「But I』m pessimistic about quality.」

Perry Lam, editor of Hong Kong arts and culture magazine Muse, is quite sceptical about the hopes of mainland market for film.」One can easily find cogent reasons for arguing that the future of Hong Kong cinema lies in embracing the Chinese market,」 Lam said in an AFP report. 「Nevertheless, I smell more desperation than inspiration in the latest race to make the Hong Kong cinema mainland-friendly.」