Closing Remarks for the Hong Kong Arts Festival
by Mrs Rosanna Ure, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
at the ROM Theatre, Royal Ontario Museum
November 29, 2001



Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, I would like to welcome you to this special screening of �The Orphan�, which also marks the closing of the two-week long Hong Kong Arts Festival in Toronto. By showing this film as the closing feature of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, we would like to pay tribute to our international movie star Bruce Lee and all those involved in Hong Kong�s film industry.

There was a tremendous response when news leaked out that �The Orphan� would be shown at the Festival. In the quiz organized by my office and Ming Pao, for instance, 150 entries were received but only 30 applicants were lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to enjoy the movie tonight. I believe people come to see this movie for different reasons. Some film buffs told me they just couldn�t imagine how Bruce Lee could play an underdog in a movie. And some friends who emigrated here from Hong Kong many years back just wanted to indulge themselves in a few moments of nostalgia. To me, the film is a vivid depiction of a post-war Hong Kong where people had to struggle for their survival. But just as Bruce Lee has developed from a talented teenage actor to a hero on the silver screen, Hong Kong�s film industry has broken out of its domestic market and taken its film to an international audience. Our homegrown talent can be found in major blockbusters, contributing their expertise and experience as actors, directors, stunsmen and computer animationists.

When Mr. Jackie Chan visited my office last week, I said at the media briefing that Jackie embodied the Hong Kong spirit � our �can-do� attitude, our flexible and pragmatic way of doing business and our resilient and creative workforce. Indeed, that spirit is what propels Hong Kong from a quiet fishing village to a major financial and business center in Asia. It can be found in every profession and industry, with the film industry being the latest to gain international recognition.

Hong Kong has also been lucky to have many friends. The work of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office would not be so successful without the support of Canadians and the many organizations we have come into contact with. The successful launching of this Festival is due, in no small part, to the assistance from the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, the Mississauga Board of Chinese Professionals and Businesses, and the Toronto International Reel Asian Film Festival. I must also mention that the film itself is loaned from the Film Archive of the Leisure & Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. Without them, such vintage films could not have been restored. Last but not least, I would like to thank our media friends, especially Ming Pao, for publicizing this Festival.

The Hong Kong Arts Festival is presented to you by Hong Kong � Asia�s world city. We hope the closing of the Festival will find the Hong Kong-Canada relationship much stronger and closer.

Enjoy the vintage film. Thank you.