Reel History: "A Century of Hong Kong Cinema"

An exceptional documentary consisting of a collage of classic shots of Hong Kong films in the past century, was screened at a public lecture hosted by Senator Vivienne Poy at the University of Toronto.

The screening was one of the Asian Heritage Month’s activities, and was presented by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO), University of Toronto, and the Asian Heritage Month GTA Citizens Group. Along with “A Century of Hong Kong Cinema" participants attended a conversation with Deepa Mehta, who was born in India but has become an award-winning film director, producer and writer in Canada.

“Hong Kong’s film industry has been a vibrant and creative one for decades," said HKETO Director, Mr Bassanio So. “Showcasing captivating film clips, featuring love scenes, comedy, beloved actors and action films, ‘A Century of Hong Kong Cinema' represents a reminiscence of achievements of the Hong Kong film industry."

Speaking at the opening of the film and lecture presentation, Mr. So outlined Hong Kong’s cinematic influences on modern filmmakers. “The authoritative BBC described the phenomenon as ‘Hollywood's fascination with Asia, kung fu, and dramatic violence'," he pointed out. “The presence of such strong influences from just one city in Asia in so many films is remarkable, however, it has surprising origins. According to legend, kung fu was brought to China by an Indian Buddhist who settled in the north of the country in the Tang dynasty, over 1,000 years ago. He is said to have set up a Shaolin temple, and taught martial arts to his disciples."

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