[2023.02.12] KIWI CHOW DOES NOT FEEL CREATIVE FREEDOM IS WRONG

Director Kiwi Chow (right) appears on a Commercial Radio interview
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Kiwi Chow Koon Wai directed Lunar New Year romance SAY I DO TO ME (1 YUN FUN LAI) has performed less than ideally at the box office. In a Commercial Radio interview, he revealed that he has never been studious but he has fallen in love with film. He recalled that in order to chase his film dream, he spent over 4 years to take the HKCEE 4 times before he accepted into the Academy of Performing Arts film department. He also revealed that when he teamed up with 4 directors to make TEN YEARS (SUP NIN), he already expected a lot of controversy would ensue. After TEN YEARS' release, he could not find investors to make BEYOND THE DREAM (WAN OI). An elder was great to him, saying that his problem was not with the script but with politics. He was able to find one way to help him -- to write a letter of apology, but he declined as he did not feel creative freedom was wrong.

Chow Koon Wai finally found investors, including the Film Development Fund. BEYOND THE DREAM opened in 2020 and made over HK$ 1.5 million. Chow Koon Wai said that he said originally he has found enough funds to make SAY I DO TO ME, but his documentary film REVOLUTION OF OUR TIMES premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and again made investors back out. He said, "SAY I DO TO ME's production was instantly halted. I was down for two months and asked myself whether I should continue to make movies? Would I be able to slowly find the lost financing? In the end the film was successfully made with over 40 investors."

Chow Koon Wai and his wife have one son and one daughter, age 8 and 3. He admitted that many friend urged him to leave Hong Kong, saying that if he stayed he would not be able to make the film. However his heart still wanted to stay in Hong Kong to keep going. As for his family, they never gave him any pressure. "We are all Christian, the stance is the same. We all feel that if we follow Jesus we would need to suffer, then we would suffer." Because of his faith and family's support, Chow Koon Wai chose to stay and keep making movies in the face of hardship.