Ann Hui’s Our Time Will Come named 2017’s best picture by Hong Kong Film Critics Society

Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker’s humanistic wartime drama was Post’s pick for best film of 2017; other winners include Sylvia Chang for Love Education and singer Stephy Tang – aiding her quest to being taken seriously as an actress

Chinese language cinema

Edmund Lee

Published: 6:18pm, 15 Jan, 2018

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Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui On-wah’s humanistic wartime drama Our Time Will Come has been voted the best Hong Kong film of 2017 by a panel of critics, the Hong Kong Film Critics Society announced on Monday.

Hui’s film also topped a list compiled by the Post in December, which ranked every notable Hong Kong film released in 2017.

Ann Hui digs up Hong Kong’s wartime past for Our Time Will Come – and finds controversy wherever she looks

The best director prize went to the Taiwanese-born writer-director-star Sylvia Chang Ai-chia, whose multigenerational relationship drama Love Education was nominated in seven categories at the Golden Horse Awards in Taipei in November.

Yasuaki Kurata as a Japanese samurai leading the pirates in God of War, a role which earned him best actor laurels from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society.

While it barely registered at the Hong Kong box office, God of War , the Chinese war epic directed by Gordon Chan Ka-seung, proved a surprise favourite of Hong Kong critics, winning in the categories for best screenplay and best actor (for Japanese martial arts veteran Yasuaki Kurata).

Stephy Tang in a still from the film The Empty Hands, a role for which she was named best actress.

The best actress award went to pop idol Stephy Tang Lai-yan for her part in the karate-themed character drama The Empty Hands , marking progress in her quest to be taken as a serious actress.

With Empty Hands role, Hong Kong pop singer Stephy Tang is poised to make the leap to serious actress

The society also named its eight recommended films of 2017: (click on titles for SCMP reviews)

God of War (directed by: Gordon Chan)

Love Education (dir: Sylvia Chang)

The Empty Hands (dir: Chapman To)

Always Be With You (dir: Herman Yau)

Wu Kong (dir: Derek Kwok)

Lost in the Fumes (dir: Nora Lam)

29+1 (dir: Kearen Pang)

Paradox (dir: Wilson Yip)

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