HONG KONG'S DETERIORATING ARTISTIC FREEDOM - A CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTORS KIWI CHOW, LAM SUM AND CRYSTAL WONG 失落創作自由 : 周冠威、林森、黃靖凝導演對談

23 Feb

Written By Ming@OCD

DATE/TIME:
31 MARCH 2023 (FRI) 20:45

Venue:
Genesis Cinema, London E1 4UJ

Time:
20:45-21:45

Host:
Mo, Yan Chi Lai

Speakers:
Kiwi Chow, Lam Sum, Crystal Wong

Language:
English, Cantonese and British sign language interpretation

Programme brief:

Toeing red lines have never been easy, and less so as they become increasingly vague, bordering nonexistence. This post-screening conversation will see directors from Hong Kong share their experiences in dealing with self-censorship during the creative process - how can films balance between staying truthful while navigating a sensitive political climate? Three Hong Kong directors, including Kiwi Chow, who remains an active filmmaker in Hong Kong; Lam Sum, who has migrated to the UK recently; and Crystal Wong, who has migrated to the US, will share their experiences on how they navigate new ways of artistic expression as the Hong Kong Cinema faces the threat of declining freedom of expression.

Kiwi Chow, born in 1979, majored in directing at the School of Film and Television at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In his second year, he completed his first film "Nian" (2003). He graduated in 2004 with a First Class Honors Bachelor of Arts degree and his graduate work "Grandma's House" (2004) won the "Best Director" award at the Academy. After graduation, he participated in the production of several films, such as "Fearless" (2006), as a special feature director and editor. He has been a visiting lecturer at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts since 2005, and has directed numerous short films that have won many local and international film festival awards, gaining much attention. In 2013, he completed his Master of Fine Arts in Film Production at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and made his directorial debut with the feature film "A Complicated Story" (2013), produced by Johnnie To, which was invited to premiere at the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival. The segment "Self-Immolation" in the film "Ten Years" (2015) won the Best Film award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. His subsequent film "Beyond the Dream" (2020) became one of the top 10 highest grossing films in Hong Kong for the year, and won the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the 57th Golden Horse Awards. In 2021, his documentary "Revolution of Our Times" was invited to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Best Documentary award at the 58th Golden Horse Awards.
Lam Sum graduated in Directing from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Most of his work focuses on social issues, including his graduation project "Drifting"(2011), short drama "Puma", and "Where are we going?" from Radio Television Hong Kong. His feature debut, “May You Stay Forever Young”, co-directed with Rex Ren, was nominated Best New Director and Best Film Editing at Golden Horse Awards 2021. In 2022, his first solo feature film "The Narrow Road", received the Best Original Film Music (Wong Hin Yan) at Golden Horse Awards 2022, and the Best Director and Best Actor (Louis Cheung) at the 29th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. It also received 10 nominations in the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards.
Crystal Wong is a documentary filmmaker from Hong Kong. Born into the handover period, her identity is likewise, fluid and in question. Her debut feature-length documentary "The Grass is Greener on the Other Side'' sparked her interest in the evolving identity of Hongkongers and the Hong Kong diaspora, which is becoming the central theme of her work. She is currently based between Hong Kong and the US.
Film and Theatre Producer/Director/Scriptwriter/Actor University Lecturer and Art Curator HK Ten Outstanding Young Persons Awardee HK Arts Development Award Young Artists Awardee (Film) Mo’s solo performance <Women in Red> was staged at the HK Queen Elizabeth Stadium and in the Netherlands. Her Short film <1+1> won HK The Grand Fresh Wave Best Film Award and IFVA Golden Award. Her feature film <N+N> was shortlisted in a number of international film festivals. Her latest feature film <Band Four> will be released this year.
She’s currently working as a director at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.