[2023.01.29] MABEL CHEUNG HOPES TO MY NINETEEN YEAR OLD SELF WOULD BRING HER SCHOOL A POOL

Mabel Cheung goes to her alma mater to attend her film TO MY NINETEEN YEAR OLD SELF's swear in ceremony, and promote the film's release on the 2nd

Mabel Cheung jokes that her 5 junior colleagues looked like fat birds during the shoot and now they are grown up and beautiful

Her boyfriend Alex Law passed away last year. Mabel Cheung puts herself fully into work and would not give herself too much time to think
courtesy of mingpao.com

Mabel Cheung Yuen Ting directed the documentary film TO MY NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF (CUP SUP GAU SHUI DIK NGOR) for her alma mater, the Ying Wa Girl's School. From production to post production the film took 10 years and would open on February 2nd. Cheung Yuen Ting yesterday went to her alma mater to attend the film swear in ceremony. The 5 junior colleagues in the film also shared their experience. TO MY NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF earlier won the Hong Kong Film Critic Society Award Best Film, the previews also won word of mouth and box office. The current take has already exceeded HK$ 6.7 million and in seventh place for now for the Lunar New Year. Cheung Yuen Ting was very grateful, as she hoped to raise money for the alma mater to build a swimming pool. She said that young people after watching the film felt that their souls have been soothed, which made her very pleased.

Cheung Yuen Ting yesterday went to her alma mater, the Ying Wa Girls' School, to attend the upcoming release TO MY NINETEEN-YEAR -OLD SELF's swear in ceremony. Before the film has been officially released, it has already won the 29th Hong Kong Film Critic Society Award for Best Film. She has been very grateful. The preview box office has already reached HK$ 6.7 million and placed 7th for now on the Lunar New Year box office. Cheung Yuen Ting said that she has never thought that a ticket for the preview would be so hard to find. When she learned that it was screened on many cinemas she felt even more scared. "At first my biggest wish is to make the movie good, to have someone to help with its distribution. Just having some people to come and watch would be enough. Now it has already exceeded expectation."

Cheung Yuen Ting said that during the shoot she never thought about making money, now that it seemingly would be able to raise money for the alma mater. She said, "The box office proceeds would go to my alma mater. If it would be able to raise enough money to build a swimming pool for the alma mater it would be good!" This is another absurd dream, because when I saw a group of junior colleagues having to come back and climb 2000 steps to be able to swim I felt very bad for them; however whether the alma mater would use the sum to build a swimming pool I don't know. The headmaster said that it would take several tens of millions and told me not to talk about the dream like a crazy person. However dreaming a little is good too."

Speaking of the 5 junior colleagues from the film having already grown into adulthood, Cheung Yuen Ting joked that when they were little they were like fat birds. Now they are much prettier, and she almost could not recognize them. Indeed she felt a lot of sentiments. However they had no interest in entering the business. "People have their own goals, I too hope that they would find their own ideals and not always follow me."

Cheung Yuen Ting said that at the previews many viewers shared their experience after the screenings. Some young people's experience left her the deepest impression. "He said that the past 10 years have been very lonely, facing so many changes in the society he felt very down. However after watching the film, he realized that actually young people of this generation all had to face the same things. He did not feel alone and his soul was soothed. At first I never thought about being so noble when I did this. If it would be able to soothe young people's souls, I would be very pleased."

Speaking of boyfriend Alex Law Kai Yui's passing last year, Cheung Yuen Ting felt saddened. "Luckily I had this documentary film. It kept me from falling into a black hole. I built a little garden next to the black hole. I just hid in the garden to cultivate and grow. Even during post screening talks and interviews, I would give my greatest effort to this documentary film. I didn't give myself too much space or time to think."