Monday, February 13, 2012

[2012.02.14] YONFAN'S BUGIS STREET REDUX HEADS TO BERLIN

courtesy of mingpao.com
courtesy of takungpao.com

The Berlin Film Festival officially invited Hong Kong director Yonfan's all new digitally restored film BUGIS STREET REDUX to participate in its Panorama segment and compete for the Teddy Bear Best Picture prize.

This would be Yonfan's third trip to Berlin after BISHONEN (MEI SIU NIN JI LUEN) and COLOR BLOSSOMS (TOH SIK).  This was also another international film festival special screening of a restored version since Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX and Wong Kar Wai's ASHES OF TIME REDUX debuted at the Cannes Film Festival.

BUGIS STREET REDUX starred Hollywood film HEAVEN AND EARTH star Hiep Thi Le and now devoted to Buddhism Michael Lam Wai Leung; other transgender actors were all selected in Singapore locally.  The film was a semi documentary about Bugis Street.  The film was also internationally renowned director Fruit Chan Gor's first official screenplay.  Hong Kong film industry elite also took part in cinematography, editing, music and art direction.

BUGIS STREET was released in Hong Kong in 1995 and received a category III rating at the time.  The censors also cut out three scenes.  Now the restored version of course brings back the removed footage.  If it has a chance to be released in Hong Kong again, will it be able to escape the censors?

No comments:

Post a Comment