For three days only, Focus Hong Kong returns to London with its touring programme Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema. Between July 8th and 10th, the programme will screen seven films at two movie theatres.
Opening with Anita, a biopic chronicling the life of beloved Hong kong superstar Anita Mui with Louise Wong in the titular role as well as supporting cast members Louis Koo and Gordom Lam – so if nothing else, there’s bound to be some interesting acting choices.
Mui’s legacy is further explored in the festival’s closing movie: Ann Hui’s 2002 classic drama July Rhapsody, which was her final film before her death. The movie details the life of a high school teacher (Jacky Cheung) whose marriage to Mui’s character is put to the test time and again as he faces a mid-life crisis.
On Saturday 9th, is Comrades, Almost a Love Story, a 1996 romantic drama by Peter Chan with what’s being described as a live holo-presence event, which sounds a lot more exciting than your typical Zoom call Q&A. On top of that, Saturday will showcase The First Girl I Loved, a 2021 queer story of two teens who don’t know if their relationship is platonic or romantic; and lastly is Tales from the Occult – a potentially very fun anthology horror film featuring work by Fung Chi-Keung, Wesley Hoi Ip Sang and Fruit Chan, who directed one of my least favourite films of the last few years but who also made his name through the horror short Dumplings, so anything can happen!
As well as the closing movie, Sunday 10th features two other films. If you missed neo-noir crime drama Hand Rolled Cigarette at last year’s LEAFF, then now’s a great time as ever to check it out. And on the topic of crime, the final film screened is the caper comedy Breakout Brothers about a group of prisoners planning a jailbreak.
Pick up your tickets here, or get them on the door!
The Asian Cinema Critic 