How Ann Hui’s film directing debut The Secret, based on a real-life double murder case, helped usher in the Hong Kong New Wave cinema movement

The Secret (1979) tells the story of a grisly double murder in Hong Kong and the seemingly ghostly events that surround it

Its strong focus on the reality of Hong Kong life and culture was unusual for the time, while Hui was one of few women directors working in the local industry

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Angie Chiu in a still from The Secret. Ann Hui’s 1979 film directing debut, starring Sylvia Chang, helped usher in the Hong Kong New Wave cinema movement.

Published: 8:15am, 25 Feb 2024Updated: 6:27pm, 6 Mar 2024

The Secret (1979) is one of the films that brought the much-lauded Hong Kong New Wave to the attention of critics and the public.

The feature debut of iconic director Ann Hui On-wah, who had previously worked in television, it tells the story of a grisly double murder in Pok Fu Lam, on Hong Kong Island, and the seemingly ghostly events that surround it.

The film’s introduction says The Secret is a “different account” of a real-life murder case, but even claiming that it is loosely based on real events is stretching credibility.

The real murder took place in May 1970 and was covered extensively by the Post.

“A young couple was found murdered on a hill behind a filling station in Pok Fu Lam Road last night,” the Post reported.

“The man and woman, aged between 20 and 25, were discovered lying on a rock among undergrowth. The man had his hands tied behind his back and was gagged, while the woman had a tie around her neck.”