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[title]French luxury fashion house CHANEL, known for its dedication to supporting prominent cultural institutions worldwide and fostering creativity among future generations of artists and filmmakers, has announced a collaboration with M+, Hong Kong's global museum of visual culture. CHANEL will serve as the museum’s principal sponsor in this three-year endeavour, which aims to inspire and empower the artistic community.
This marks the fashion house’s first-ever collaboration with a Hong Kong cultural institution. CHANEL’s support covers a patronage of the position of CHANEL Lead Curator, Moving Image, who oversees the curation of M+’s moving image collection, commissions, film projects, and curatorial programmes, as well as leading the museum’s Moving Image Centre.
Proprietor of forgotten gems and restored masterpieces
Back in 2022, CHANEL supported Film Course: Women Make Film, which was part of the inaugural edition of M+ Cinema. Building on this partnership, CHANEL is now extending its support to some of M+ Cinema’s recurring programmes, including ‘Rediscoveries’, an initiative that brings forgotten gems and restored classics back to the screen.
Throughout the history of cinema, numerous works have faded into obscurity. The ‘Rediscoveries’ programme spotlights these masterpieces, giving them the opportunity to shine once more on the big screen. The screenings also provide a deeper understanding of the films' history, archival context, and restoration process through talks.
This October and November, M+ Cinema will be showcasing the 1964 Japanese classic, Pale Flower, in a stunning 4K resolution. Additionally, in October and December, they will present the legendary film A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon and host a post-screening talk on Anita Mui’s screen presence on October 8.
Exploring new frontiers
Another recurring series covered by the partnership is ‘Afterimage’, a showcase featuring a range of moving images that go beyond the confines of traditional filmmaking. Expect a series of hybrid documentaries, essay films, video art, and experimental cinema. Through this programme, viewers can discover the works of foundational and emerging artists exploring alternative histories and speculative futures through figurative and abstract storytelling.
Upcoming screenings include Linda Chiu-han Lai: 10957 Moons and 30 Elliptical Years on October 28, Chris Marker: San Soleil on November 25 and Hito Steyerl: november, Lovely Andrea on December 15. The screenings will feature a post-screening talk with the artists.
A celebration of the city’s cinematic heritage
CHANEL’s partnership with M+ also gives birth to two new initiatives: ‘M+ Restored’, a film restoration programme aimed at preserving the city’s rich cinematic heritage, and the Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library, an extensive research and collection-building project that seeks to honour and celebrate the pioneering film artists of Asia, whose contributions have reshaped cinematic conventions.
Witness this cinematic exploration. Tickets for ‘Rediscoveries’ and ‘Afterimage’ are now available online.