Local cinema has a rich and eventful history - and for the last decade, it’s been the Hong Kong Film Archive’s mission to preserve and extol its heritage.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, it has chosen 25 film classics that are documents of their times as well as timeless works of art to be shown in The Best From the Archive Collection.
These films include Sorrows of the Forbidden City (1948), It Was a Cold Winter Night (1955), The Legend of Purple Hairpin (1959), The Eternal Love (1960), Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967), and A Touch of Zen (1971).
The Glamour Everlasting exhibition in the Film Archive’s exhibition hall is showcasing rarely seen photos and archival items donated by film stars.
The 25 films were selected from more than 9,000 titles in the Film Archive, including classics such as those by Lai Man-wai, respected as the Father of Hong Kong Cinema.
Conservation key
Many of the films and film-related materials were not received in perfect condition. The archive’s Conservation Unit takes steps to restore them.
Every incoming film goes through elaborate examination and treatments, which may include cleaning and removing residual chemicals to restoring colour or striking new prints.
Conservation staff also provide a sound environment for safekeeping the archive’s collection of more than 1 million items, including stills, posters and other film-related curios.
Many renowned film makers such as director Johnnie To have donated the statues and trophies won in local and international awards.
Mr To reckons the honours he has won belong to Hong Kong’s film industry and the whole community. Displayed at the archive, they help visitors better understand how the industry works.
Director and actress Sylvia Chang also hopes the archive will continue to enrich the contents and variety of its collection to document people’s lives in different eras.
Crowd pleasers
It organises regular retrospectives, exhibitions, and seminars to enhance public appreciation of films. A 2009 exhibition to recap the life and works of four-time Asian Best Actress Lin Dai, with exhibits donated by Lin’s family, drew large crowds.
Lin’s son Long Chun-han hopes the archive will do research on his mother’s mementos, as they project Hong Kong people’s life in that era.
The archive, located in a four-storey building in Sai Wan Ho, divides its 7,200 square metres into two halves, one for state-of-the-art storage facilities, the other for screening, exhibition, offices and other public-access facilities, including a comprehensive resource centre.
It had more than 240,000 visitors in 2009-10, and expects many more will come to join the 10th anniversary festivities.
