Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark is one of Hong Kong cinema’s biggest directors, responsible for “Peking Opera Blues” and the legendary “Once Upon A Time in China” series. He talks to John Robertson as the Hong Kong International Film Festival pays tribute to him this year.
I was born in China and my father brought me over to Saigon, Vietnam, when I was a child. I grew up there until 14, when my family moved to Hong Kong.
My father was a very conservative businessman, but he prided himself on being adventurous and creative. After he died, I learned that he’d been through difficult times. People like that have to become creative in order to survive.
As a child I focused on trying to please my parents and do well in school. Only after school did I feel a sudden hesitation to follow the beaten path and become, say, an engineer. That was the most critical moment of my life.
After university in the US, I worked in New York on documentaries and in newspapers. If I hadn’t gone into film, I’d probably be a reporter right now.
When I returned to Hong Kong in 1976, one of the easiest jobs to apply for at the time was in TV. Working there was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. The series I directed, “The Gold Dagger Romance,” was suddenly being called the best thing on TV. I had never had that experience of being talked about before.
I joined the film industry in 1979 when it was recruiting new blood. It was like opening a door and walking into a whole new world. It was scary.
Almost every project I take on is a major challenge. Doing something creative such as film is rewarding but grueling if you want to make something original. When you really go into the details and explore the material, you’re actually exploring parts of yourself.