Movie mementoes that have gathered dust for decades in people's cupboards could prove invaluable to researchers trying to preserve film history.
The Provisional Urban Council is urging people to search through their keepsakes for any film-related material. Items sought include old cinema tickets, posters, programmes, pictures, autographs or souvenirs.
The Hong Kong Film Archive Collection Campaign organised by the council has collected 2,000 items over 10 years from people with close ties to the industry.
But it wants to tap a rich vein in the millions of objects hoarded by fans in the days when movies were not rivalled by video games, karaoke and the Internet.
Chow Chung, 65, a star since the 1950s, attended the launch of the campaign yesterday and said the collection had revived memories.
In the movie Half a Life as a Cow and Horse, filmed in the 1970s, Mr Chow played the lead as a cowardly labourer who, after being tortured by gangsters, finally finds the strength to stand up for himself.
'Stories like this were well-received in those days when many people had to struggle because of unemployment. It was raining heavily on the premiere night but the cinema was full,' Mr Chow recalled.