How Made in Hong Kong became a classic – and found its way to US cinemas 23 years later
- Fruit Chan’s groundbreaking 1997 film was shot on leftover film stock with a minuscule budget and crew. It won awards in Hong Kong and internationally
- It was not released in North America, but is due to open in 15 cities across the US, after an extended run at New York’s Metrograph cinema
When Aliza Ma studied Hong Kong cinema in college, Made in Hong Kong was the primary focus. “The course was about how important this film is, an independent feature made at the time of the handover to China,” says Ma, now head of programming for New York’s Metrograph cinema. “But you could only watch it on a poorly copied VHS cassette.”
With its improvised scenes, largely non-professional crew and vivid locations, Made in Hong Kong expanded the language of cinema and had a deep impact on subsequent filmmakers. It won awards both in Hong Kong and internationally, and launched Chan’s career as director and producer.
But the film never received theatrical distribution in North America.
“A couple of years ago I was shocked to see a beautifully restored version at the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy,” Ma says. “It was like seeing the film for the first time.”