[2024.08.21] HONG KONG FILM GALA PRESENTATION OPENS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Herman Yau states that Nichols Tse has such good skills in the water that holding his breath for more than 1 minute underwater would be easy for him
courtesy of on.cc

Organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy, funded by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Office, the Film Development Fund and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok, and co-organized by HOUSE Samyan, Bangkok's first art and alternative cinema, touring screening event "Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation's" Bangkok, Thailand stop and the "Dynamic Cityscapes of Hong Kong Films" exhibition would be held at House Samyan from August 16th to 25th, and a grand red carpet and opening ceremony were held last Friday (16th).

From August 16th to 20th, a total of 9 Hong Kong films would be screened at House Samyan. The opening films would be Soi Cheang Pou Soi's TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (GAU LUNG SING JAI) and Herman Yau Lai To's CUSTOMS FRONTLINE (HOI GUAN JIN SIN). Other films included Nick Cheung Ka Fai's PEG O' MY HEART (SHOOK MUNG), Ho Mu Ki's LOVE LIES (NGOR TAM DIK NA CHEUNG LUEN OI), Nick Cheuk Yik Him's TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES (NIN SIU YUT GEI), Lawrence Kan Kwan Chun's IN BROAD DAYLIGHT (BAK YUN JI HA), Au Cheuk Man's STAND UP STORY (SUET SIU JI YUN), Nate Ki (Tse Ka Kei)'s BACK HOME (CHUT YUET FAN GUAI) and Stanley Kwan Kam Peng's CENTER STAGE (YUEN LING YUK) 4K RESTORED VERSION; and the "Dynamic Cityscapes of Hong Kong Films Exhibition", which would recreate impressive scenes from 5 recent Hong Kong films and showcase Hong Kong's urban scenery and cultural diversity of life, would be held on August 16th to to 25th.

On August 16, Acting Director of the Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok Jason Chow Chin Ching, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand Yuthika Isarangkura, and many Hong Kong filmmakers in front and behind the scenes including directors Herman Yau Lai To, Nick Cheuk Yik Him, Ho Miu Ki, producer Chan Hing Ka, actors Kenny Wong Tak Bun and Jozev Lau (Kiu Ching Fu); many Thai stars include actor and screenwriter Chantavit Dhanasevi (Ter), actors Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying (Aokbab), Pruk Panich (Zee), Jump and Siwat Jumlongkul (Mark), as well as Thai directors Nonzee Nimibutr, Kongkiat Khomsiri, Kongdej Jaturanrasmee and Nontawat Numbenchapol attended the red carpet and opening ceremony.

Chow Chin Ching said that this event was a valuable platform for professional exchanges between Hong Kong and Thai filmmakers. He was very happy to see Hong Kong filmmakers and actors actively exploring the Thai market. He hoped that the increasing interaction would lead to new collaboration projects and further enrich Hong Kong and Thailand's film industry.

TWILIGHT actors Kenny Wong Tak Bun, Jozev Kiu Ching Fu and CUSTOM FRONTLINE director Herman Yau Lai To met with the audience after the screenings. They agreed that the Thai audience had a certain understanding of Hong Kong movies, which made this exchange more in-depth. Wong Tak Bun said, "Thai viewers like and are familiar with Hong Kong movies. They have watched many old Hong Kong movies." Tak Bun has also watched Thai movies, and happened to catch up at the event with the actor in the movie he recently watched: NOT FRIENDS' Jump. Some of the the Thai audience also recognized him, he was a little surprised to be able to call him by his name. Kiu Ching Fu found that Hong Kong's martial arts culture had a profound influence on Southeast Asian audiences. Action and martial arts were common languages, and Thai audiences responded directly and authentically to this part. There were even Thai viewers who have read Hong Kong comics and fantasized about whether there would be a movie that could combine kung fu from different martial arts in one go, and TWILIGHT made his wish come true.

Yau Lai To felt that the Thai audience was very enthusiastic, and older viewers would be more familiar with Hong Kong films because many Hong Kong films were released in Thailand before 2000. Unfortunately, after the financial crisis fewer film companies bought Hong Kong films. From then to now, only a few Hong Kong films were released in Thailand; so this "Hong Kong Film Tour" gave the Thai audience the opportunity to see Hong Kong films in theaters. He cherished this opportunity very much and hoped to contribute to this event.

At the sharing session, an audience member asked Nicholas Tse Ting Fung in CUSTOMS said that he could hold his breath underwater for four minutes. Was it really feasible in reality? Yau Lai To said that he conducted the full research when writing the script. "Ting Fung is very familiar with water. He can really hold his breath underwater for about 1 minute and a half to 1 minute and 45 seconds. For ordinary people, holding their breath underwater for 1 minute is already very difficult. Therefore this action design, in which Ting Fung say that he can hold his breath for 4 minutes, isn't something that ordinary people cannot do it; yet it hasn't reached what a top condition expert can do neither."