Hong Kong Film Archive

From December 1 to February 23, 2025, the Hong Kong Film Archive will be screening 17 local films that have been adapted from or inspired by works of literature. Sorted into five thematic categories – ‘Adaptations from Classic Literature’, ‘Her Stories in the City’, ‘Reflections of Time’, ‘Tales of Love and Romance’, and ‘Made in Hong Kong’ – these films will span from the early 40s to the late 2010s, covering topics such as romance, tragedies, class differences, and female autonomy. We’re particularly looking forward to Modern ‘Red Chamber Dream’ (1952), which brings the Qing dynasty setting of the Dream of the Red Chamber novel to the 1940s; The Long Lane (1956), in which a woman grapples with the guilt of abandoning her daughter in favour of adopting a male heir; The Reincarnation of Golden Lotus (1989) which explores abuse, lust, and desire from a female perspective; and horror comedy The Midnight After (2014) based on a popular web novel published on a local online forum. Most of these screenings will be accompanied by talks, so this is a great chance for cinephiles to hear directly from film scholars, screenwriters, film critics, and directors such as Fruit Chan, Yim Ho, and Stanley Kwan. Tickets will cost $55, and will be available for sale on Urbtix from November 1.

The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) is commemorating the 90th birth anniversary of the legendary film star Lin Dai in its Morning Matinee screening series from December 20 to March 7, 2025. The event will feature 14 classic films that the actor has starred in, as well as four documentaries about her life. Immensely popular in the 1950s and 60s, Lin only had about a decade or so in her film career, but she was crowned Best Actress four times at the Asian Film Festival and remains well remembered for her screen charisma. See works of romance from the early years of her career in films such as The Fisherman’s Daughter (1956), Golden Lotus (1957), and Love Without End (1961); Lin’s portrayal of lively modern city girls in The Battle of Love (1957) and Bachelors Beware (1960); as well as some of her period pieces like Diau Charn (1958), The Kingdom and the Beauty (1959), and the rarely screened Meng Lisi, Maid of the Jungle (1961). Also being shown are two of Lin’s famous musical films Les Belles (1961) and Love Parade (1963), the former in which she dazzled audiences with western and Asian dances, earning her third Best Actress prize. Tickets are priced at $35, available from November 23 onwards. See the full programme and schedule on HKFA’s website.