BC30: Hong Kong’s iconic arthouse cinema turns 30 in style

Description

For Hong Kong film lovers, there may be no happier place to pass time than Broadway Cinematique. The humble arthouse cinema has introduced generations of cinephiles to thousands of otherwise-unavailable movies — for three decades, and counting — all from its unlikely home in the plaza of a subsidized housing estate in Yau Ma Tei.

To celebrate the cinema’s imminent 30th birthday, programmers have been given free reign, putting together a 10-week celebration, titled BC30 BC It’s Cinema. 

Tasked with such an open canvas, they turned to the audience, asking filmgoers and cinephiles the question: “Which film comes to mind when you think of this place?” The result is “BC For You,” a core selection of 30 films — chosen from the more than 3,000 released by Broadway Cinematique — a snapshot of arthouse favourites including Breaking the Waves, All About My Mother, Suzhou River, Persepolis and Amour, plus Fruit Chan’s local vignette Made in Hong Kong.

Looking ahead, the sister “BC30+10” programme will also showcase  10 contemporary movies from this year’s festival circuit, including notable a trio of Cannes laureates: Palme d’Or-winner Fjord, plus Best Director winners Fatherland and The Black Ball. 

BC30 will also premiere new local productions, with a pair of new Hong Kong movies taking the opening honours: writer-director Keane T.K. Wong feature debut, Afterpiece; plus Yeung Leung Chuen’s much-anticipated Hong Kong comedy drama We Are Born Good (pictured above), fresh from its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. In addition, there will be a special presentation of The Water Will Carry Us, a poignant story of an elderly dragon boat club boatman, from new director Cheng Sei Hong.

Fringe activities include a quiz and busking performance by notable singer-songwriter Olivier Cong.