Film Archive "Youth Continues" reviews classic works of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of superstars Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, the Hong Kong Film Archive (Hong Kong Film Archive) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will organize a special screening programme of the two superstars, "Youth Continues", from April to December. Through 20 films of different genres and themes, the audience can once again relive the charm of a generation of legends. "Youth Continues" is one of the programs of the first "Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival".
The first show of "Youth Continues" "Zhao Zengxi x Li Xingni x "Story of Princesses 2"" was held at the Grand Theater of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on April 22, and was also the opening show of the "Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023". Renowned music producer Zhao Zengxi specially selected four movie songs starring Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui and re-arranged them, which were performed by pop singer Li Xingni with movie clips. The show was then screened with the last feature film "Stormy Girl 2" (1996) in which the two superstars co-starred. In addition, the Archive will screen a 4K restored version of another film they co-starred in, Rouge (1988), at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on April 23. The rest of the "Youth Continues" programme will be screened at the Archive Cinema from April 29 to December 30.
Leslie Cheung has a variety of images on the screen and has brought a variety of characters to life. Whether he was the carefree and unrestrained Ah Fei in Days of Being Wild (1990), the tough and affectionate undercover agent in Moonlight Fairy Tale (1999), the thief in A Chinese Ghost Story (1991), the naive scholar in A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) or the clever and cunning little man in A Bright Future (1994), Leslie Cheung performed all the roles with ease.
Anita Mui was equally outstanding. From her role as the twisted Gu Manlu in Half a Lifelong Romance (1997), adapted from Eileen Chang's original novel, to the top image consultant in The Passionate Prince (1988), the strong woman facing a marriage crisis in The Holiday (2001), the strong and gentle female hero in The Heroic Trio (1993), the legendary spy in Kawashima Yoshiko (1990), and even her cross-dressing role as a foolish and lustful king in The Witch of the Underworld (2001), Anita Mui was able to accurately grasp the essence of the role.
The two superstars are both leading the music industry, and their musical attainments are also reflected in the movie. The two co-starred for the first time in "Fate" (1984), and also sang the theme song for a movie for the first time, which was sad and beautiful. Anita Mui played a popular singer in the musical film "Singing Song and Dance" (1985), singing on the stage with a calm demeanor. In Love with You (1985), many of Leslie Cheung's hits linked the plot of the entire film together; the song "Chasing" sung by Leslie Cheung in Princess Adventure (1994) became a classic of Hong Kong pop music; in the final scene of Sex and Zen (1996), he directed, edited and composed the music, showing his multi-faceted artistic talents.
"Youth Continues" also screens the duo's later works on the big screen, including "In the Mood for Love" (2002), which analyzes the dark side of human nature. Leslie Cheung portrayed the protagonist's struggle with his inner demons to perfection, while Anita Mui's performance in "A Man at 40" (2002) was free of glitz and glamour, delicately depicting the ups and downs and sorrows of middle-aged people.
Some films will have pre- or post-screening talks, hosted by Stanley Kwan, Joe Yik-sze, Gordon Chan, Chan Hing-ka, Chow Lai-rao, Ho Sze-ying, Ko Chi-sum, Dr. Cheung Chi-wai, Teddy Robin, Wong Yin-ming, Deng Tu, Dr. Ng Chun-hung, Shu Kei, Poon Hang-sang, Dr. Law Chin-fung, Tsang Siu-hung and Cheng Cheng-hang.
"A Summer Day" is in Cantonese and English, while the rest of the films are in Cantonese. Except for "Erotic Eight", all other films have Chinese and English subtitles. "Sex and Zen" is classified as a Category III film and is only allowed to be viewed by people aged 18 or above.
The first "Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival" organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department aims to bring a variety of program experiences to the audience, including pop concerts and performances, special exhibitions, film screenings, outdoor and outreach activities, etc., hoping to showcase Hong Kong's unique cultural characteristics and the creativity and charm of diverse integration through different aspects.
Tickets for "Zhao Zengxi x Li Xingni x "Story of Princesses 2"" are priced at HK$85, while tickets for other movies are priced at HK$45. They will be on sale at the City Ticketing Network from April 1st.
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