Tam steals show after 17 years out of the picture
After a 17-year break from filmmaking, director Patrick Tam Ka-ming made an impressive comeback, with his film winning five awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards last Sunday night.
Receiving the best film award at the end of the ceremony, Tam (right) said: 'All my competitors are of a very high standard. It all comes down to my good fortune and the decision of the committee.
'I'am even happier for Tian Koi-leong [who won the best screenplay award with Tam], who used to be my creative writing class student and had all this passion, but wasn't able to make a name for himself for a very long time,' said the 59-year-old. Tam also praised Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, who played the lead role in his award-winning movie, After This, Our Exile, but lost the best actor award to Sean Lau Ching-wan.
'If Aaron had won the best actor award then it would have been perfect,' Tam said. 'He put so much effort into the film, but not getting the award doesn't mean that he's not a good actor.'
After making My Heart is That Eternal Rose, in 1989, Tam worked as a film editor on Wong Kar-wai's Days of Being Wild in 1990 and Johnnie To Kei-fung's Election in 2004. Later, he became a full-time associate professor at City University's School of Creative Media.
Tam said the key to reviving the local film industry was to re-educate filmmakers. 'If they have the right attitude and are passionate about what they do, then I believe [the local industry] will become much better again.'
After This, Our Exile, depicting the relationship between a violent father named Shing (Kwok) and his vulnerable son Boy (Gouw Ian Iskander), took the honours for best new performer, best screenplay, best supporting actor, best director and best film.
