The Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association announced on September 20 that Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In has been put forward as Hong Kong’s entry in the best international feature film category of the upcoming 97th Academy Awards.
Aside from getting the majority vote in the association’s choosing process, the martial arts blockbuster had received a standing ovation when it was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is also Hong Kong’s second highest-grossing domestic film, topping other blockbusters such as Warriors of Future, Anita, Cold War 2, and Kung Fu Hustle, bringing in about $100 million in the box office.
Directed by Soi Cheang and based on Andy Seto’s comic City of Darkness, the film is set in Hong Kong in the 1980s and follows the illegal migrant Chan Lok-kwun (played by Raymond Lam) as he tries to take refuge from a triad leader Mr Big (played by Sammo Hung) by hiding inside the old Kowloon Walled City. Before it was demolished in the 90s, the Walled City was notorious for being a lawless enclave outside the jurisdiction of both the British and the Chinese governments. The star-studded cast of this film also includes Louis Koo, Ritchie Jen, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, and Philip Ng.
The last time a Hong Kong film was nominated at the Oscars was back in 2020 with Better Days directed by Derek Tsang. Last year, Hong Kong’s submission A Light Never Goes Out ended up being disqualified due to a conflict of interest when actor Simon Yam – who starred in the film and had become a new selection committee member – was told he could not vote for a film that he is in. Fingers crossed that our neo-noir action smasher at least ends up being nominated in the top five for its Oscars category!
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