The Hidden Cinema Treasures of Luk Wan Fung

Description

Luk was born into a family actively involved in the Republican Revolutionary, instilling in him a dedication to principle and discipline. He later joined the army and stationed in Guangzhou. Well-connected, adroit at cultivating relationships while unafraid of standing up to the powerful underworld, he earned a reputation as a fixer, having helped a number of filmmakers and opera stars such as Sit Kok-sin, Sun Ma Si-tsang and Chan Kam-tong during their times of trouble. It was then in Guangzhou that Luk established a close lifelong friendship with Sun Ma, leading to their collaboration in film and opera after Luk moved to Hong Kong.

Luk came to Hong Kong in the early 1950s to flee political turmoil and was encouraged by his showbiz friends to venture into filmmaking. He first established Wan Fung Film Company in 1954, later banding with six friends to form Seven Happiness Film Company in 1958 and Kam Kwong Movie Company in 1964. His ability to find balance in complicated and difficult situations allowed him to maintain good relationships from all walks of entertainment and even political life, making him a rare filmmaker who managed to get stars and behind-the-scene personnel from the different factions to work in the same film. As producer and sometimes scriptwriter (under the pseudonym Luk Chung), he made about a hundred films, including the cherished ‘Two Fools’ series of comedies starring Sun Ma Si-tsang and Tang Kei-chen. He was also concerned with the artistic qualities of commercial films, such as hiring Lee Tit, one of Hong Kong cinema’s most respected directors, to make such Cantonese classics as The Three Murderers (1959).

The event features 4 of his works – Homeward Bound (1954), Who Will Get the Pretty Girl (1955), A Beauty in Times of War (1959) and Blood Terror (1960). All screenings are companioned by talks after the show.

Please note that the films and talks are in Cantonese with no subtitles nor translation