During the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong became established as a film-making powerhouse, earning the nickname “Hollywood of the East”. Over the last 25 years, the Hong Kong Film Archive has worked to collect and preserve film materials, allowing the public to savour the industry’s golden age.

Established as a database that can facilitate research on the industry, the archive has over 1.3 million items in its collection, ranging from actual films and other audiovisual materials to posters, costumes and even production companies’ financial statements.

Film Archive Assistant Curator I (Programming) Kenxi Lau remarked: “One of its most prized items is a rare colour copy of the 1960 movie ‘The Orphan’, which was Bruce Lee’s last film before he left Hong Kong for the US. The archive acquired it from a British company and brought it back to Hong Kong in 1992.”

Conservation efforts

Some materials are particularly hard to come by, and the archive is often in a race against the clock to ensure precious artefacts are not lost to the public.

Conservation Office Assistant Curator I (Conservation) Athena Wong said: “The biggest challenge is that film will degrade slowly. We need to preserve the film in cold and dry storage that slows down the degrading process, and buy time to duplicate the contents of the films.”

Ms Wong also highlighted that old video formats and projection equipment are being gradually phased out, meaning the archive has to step up the process of conversion and digitisation.

Artistic integrity

When it comes to restoration, Ms Wong explained that there can be various challenges, including a lack of reference materials.

To preserve a movie’s original look and feel from scene to scene, it is sometimes necessary to contact the people who made it - such as the director or cinematographer - to understand their thoughts and intentions at the time.

Ms Wong added that the time needed to restore a film varies depending on the damage it has sustained.

She also noted that artificial intelligence now offers some great tools to address scratches, stains and other imperfections. However, the restorers are also careful to preserve the historic soul of old films.

Interactive exhibits

Marking the archive’s silver jubilee, an exhibition is being held at its Sai Wan Ho home showcasing its work over the years to preserve the history and culture of Hong Kong cinema.

The exhibition includes screenings of film clips from the 1930s through to the 2000s, as well as interviews with donors, giving the public insights into the archive’s efforts to source film materials from around the world.

It also features actual equipment used by professional conservators, and introduces the restoration procedures and technical knowledge their work entails. Meanwhile, an interactive area with two simulation games allows visitors to experience the work of acquisition and conservation for themselves.