[2024.11.01] SAMMO HUNG THINKS TEACHING KUNG FU THE OLD WAY MIGHT INVOLVE CHILD ABUSE

Fans surround Dayo Wong as he leaves the cinema late at night

Sammo Hung, Yasuaki Kurata and Kenji Tanigaki attend the TIFFCOM seminar

Director Anselm Chan, Tommy Chu, Dayo Wong, Michael Hui, and Michelle Wai meet the audience at a Tokyo cinema
courtesy of mingpao.com

Natalie Hsu and Fish Liew participate in the Tokyo International Film Festival
courtesy of on.cc

THE LAST DANCE (POR. DEI YUK) was recently selected for the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival World Focus section, writer and director Anselm Chan Mou Yin, leads Dayo Wong Tze Wah, Michael Hui Koon Man, and Michelle Wai Sze Nga after attending the opening ceremony went to the theater in Hibiya the night before (30th) to meet the audience, and a large number of Hong Kong people living in Japan came to support them. Wong Tze Wah greeted everyone in Japanese, and also broke out the golden quote "Death will happen, but it is also very strange". In addition, Sammo Hung Kam Bo joined Japanese actor Yasuaki Kurata and TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (GAU LUNG SING JAI JI WAI SING)'s action director Kenji Tanigaki to share their experience in filming action movies at a TIFFCOM seminar. Attending the master class today, Hung Kam Bo joked that if he would teach kung fu to the children now in the same way it was done before, he might be involved in child abuse and sentenced to 150 years in prison.

Hung Kam Bo appeared at the Tokyo Film Festival accompanied by his wife Joyce Godenzi (Ko Lai Hung). In addition to Yasuaki Kurata and Kenji Tanigaki, Philip Ng Won Lung and Wai Sze Nga also appeared. Hung Kam Bo said that the Hong Kong Film Awards did not have an action director award at the beginning; it was added later, which was a comfort to action directors; he also said that whether there is an award or not was not a problem, the most important thing was to pass on the legacy.

Hung Kam Bo has worked with Yasuaki Kurata before, and praised him for being "direct, fast, and great". He hoped that they could collaborate again. Hung Kam Bo said that since he was also an action director, when he made TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN he would not take over. Instead he followed Kenji Tanigaki's arrangements in everything. Speaking of the development of AI and whether it would help action directors, Hung Kam Bo said, "The best would be for AI to help me fight without moving, then I can collect money comfortably. On second thought, action direction requires the human brain to conceive and design the stunts. We can't just use a computer like that to do everything." Hung Kam Bo has repeatedly called for Hong Kong films to shine, hoping that the audience will buy tickets and go to the movies more to support Hong Kong films; the best would be chartering the theater everyday and watch everyday.

Some viewers mentioned that the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts still has no martial arts courses, and Hung Kam Bo also has similar thoughts. "How should we teach more newcomers? The most important thing is that even if you teach children, they don't have a chance to succeed or make movies. After teaching and learning kung fu, should we all sell roasted pork buns instead?" Hung Kam Bo also joked that if he used the old ways to teach kung fu, now they might involved child abuse and be sentenced to 150 years in prison.

THE LAST DANCE held the first audience meeting in Tokyo the night before, and director Anselm Chan Mou Yin, Dayo Wong Tze Wah, Michael Hui Koon Man and Michele Wai Sze Nga appeared at the theater around 10:30 p.m. The audience cheered, many Hong Kong people who were living in Japan held up signs to show their support. Wong Tze Wah greeted everyone in Japanese, "I am Wong Tze Wah, who played Tao Sun in THE LAST DANCE; hello everyone". Hui Koon Man said that for everyone who has just finished watching the movie, they should think first. "Everyone can wait until they are calm before discussing it." An audience member responded, "Seeing you, I can't calm down." Director Chan Mou Yin said that he lost many relatives and friends during the pandemic and attended different forms of funerals, which inspired him to make this film. "During that time, I experienced a low point in my life. I felt reluctant to face life and death. How to accept birth, old age, sickness and death is very important for those who are alive." When the interpreter of the event spoke, Wong Tze Wah, who was sitting next to him, jokingly said to Chan Mou Yin, "I seem to understand Japanese."

Wong Tze Wah said that during this film production he learned to put make up on and change clothes for the deceased. "I also know how much money this job can make in Hong Kong!" Hui Koon Man said that his role was not good at rhetoric, and his personality was serious. Completely opposite to himself, he needed to learn how to perform it. Wai Sze Nga said that she learned the hell-breaking ritual and first aid. Wong Tsz Wah mentioned that the film had a "bone collecting" for the ground buried ancestor scene. The funeral consultant told him that once after opening the coffin, he found that the body was still decomposing. "That stench was so strong that it could be smelled as far away as Kyoto". He said that he gained knowledge every time he filmed a scene, and broke out the golden quote, "Death must happen, but it is also very strange".

Hui Koon Man said that he did no research for the movie, because he was afraid of ghosts. The director was responsible for all the information. Chan Mou Yin said he has spent a year and a half on collecting information, and the "hell breaking" ceremony was an intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong. Wong Tze Wah was worried that there was too much content and the translator could not cope with it. So he reminded the director to be brief and concise, which made the audience laughed. Wai Sze Nga revealed that when she was a child, she watched the hell breaking rituals. She only felt it was amazing. After filming, she realized that every step had its meaning, such as the 9 brick tiles representing the 9 layers of hell, and carrying the spirit tablet and jumping the fire ring was to take the ancestors out of hell.

At the end of the event, THE LAST DANCE's Chu Pak Hong made a surprise appearance from the audience. Wong Tze Wah pointed out that he was "undercover" and blended into the audience to observe the reaction. Chan Mou Yin hoped that everyone would be in a better mood after watching the movie. "Wherever hell you have, just break it!"

Wong Tze Wah left the theater late at night and was surrounded by a large number of fans. He thanked everyone for their support and comforted the fans who wanted to cry; when he heard some fans say, "We are Hong Kong people!" He waved in response, and was very friendly. Miss Wong, a Hong Kong resident in Japan, revealed to the media that she used to return to Hong Kong to see Wong Tze Wah's stand-up comedy in the past. She also said that the first album she bought in her life was Wong Tze Wah's "Guan Laosan". She was very happy to see him in Tokyo and even took a selfie with him.

Fish Liew Chi Yu and Natalie Hsu teamed up with director Chong Keat Aun to represent Hong Kong and Malaysia co-produced film PAVANE FOR AN INFANT the day before yesterday, attended the "37th Tokyo International Film Festival" and hosted the world premiere and symposium.

Natalie won the Best Newcomer Award in 2021 for THE DAY WE LIT UP THE SKY. This year would be her third year of participation in the Tokyo Film Festival, and two day ago was her first time watching the finished film on the big screen. She said, "Because when I made the movie a year ago, I already felt that I really understood this character. This time was the first time I sat in a theater and watched the entire movie from the viewer's perspective. With the editing, score and color tuning, I understood more in-depth the social issues that the story tells. Every group performance was amazing!" Fish revealed that she became good friends with Natalie because of this movie, and joked that their friendship was ageless. "I am more than 10 years her senior; she is crazy all the time, but actually she is so mature. With her I feel at ease."