Consulate worker by day, film historian by night: one French author’s love affair with Hong Kong cinema
Arnaud Lanuque has literature on Cantonese films on show at the Hong Kong Book Fair, and says local directors need to be more daring
“Once you put your finger on it, you go deeper and deeper. From that point on, I knew it was too late – I was doomed.”
That was how Arnaud Lanuque described his accidental encounter with Hong Kong cinema and the unexpected journey that ultimately saw him relocate to the city.
The 39-year-old French author and journalist has his literature on Cantonese films on show at the Hong Kong Book Fair, which runs until Tuesday. The seven-day event is one of the world’s largest book fairs.
Lanuque, who went to law school before venturing into literature, said that despite his intense interest in the film industry, Hong Kong cinema did not really grab him at first.
“I liked it, but it was nothing really outstanding to me,” he said, citing early action films starring martial artist Jackie Chan.