Rise of the phoenix
Local films have been getting rave reviews recently, a reaction that supporters of Hong Kong cinema hope is the light at the end of the tunnel.
The industry has seen extreme highs and lows over the past two decades. It reached a climax in the 1980s, when the city was the third-largest movie producer, after India and the US.
But output fell drastically in the 1990s, with the number of films falling from 200 in 1993 to 90 in 2002, thanks to piracy, reports of triad links and Hollywood blockbusters that gripped the globe. Quality home-grown films were rare, and local interest in them plunged.
But now the industry seems to have turned the corner: several films have been released to critical acclaim, and local creative companies are in renewed demand.
The movies' pulling power has also increased. Despite being released more than a month ago, the award-winning Echoes of the Rainbow still ranks No3 on the box-office chart and has grossed more than HK$20 million. Beauty on Duty, Fire of Conscience, Love in a Puff and Crossing Hennessy are also on the list, with takings of HK$2 million to HK$4 million.
Jack So Chak-kwong, chairman of the Film Development Council, says recently that the rise in production numbers suggested Hong Kong cinema was on its way to a comeback.
'The number of Hong Kong movies that started production in 2009 was 30 per cent more than those made in 2008,' So says. Last year 70 films were made, and he predicts even more movies to come this year, thanks to co-productions with mainland and overseas firms.
'China is proving to be a fast-growing market for Chinese-language movies. At least six or seven of the top 10 box-office hits [on the mainland] are Hong Kong movies or co-productions, so this really has given a tremendous boost to the industry,' he adds.
So cites Echoes as a reason for his optimism. The low-budget local project, made with the help of the Film Development Fund, won the Crystal Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.
Since 2003, co-productions between Hong Kong and mainland companies have been eligible for the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa). This usually involves a mainland partner contributing much of the budget, and ensuring a certain proportion of actors and crew are mainlanders.
With local films selling millions more tickets on the mainland, earnings have soared. Records show 16 films made more than 10 million yuan (HK$11.4 million) between December and March, 12 of which were from here. It's easy to see why almost every Hong Kong director has a mainland office.
But to qualify for Cepa, film-makers must consider mainland tastes and censorship. Critics say that, while the films may sell well north of the border, sacrificing artistic integrity may just be too high a price.
