Lai Man-wai: Father of Hong Kong Cinema

Lai Man-wai: Father of Hong Kong Cinema

  • Overview
  • Crew

Status

Released

Release Date

Jan 1, 2002

Runtime

2h 20m

Genres

Documentary

Original Title

香港电影之父黎民偉

Production Companies

Dragon Ray Motion Pictures Ltd.

Director

Clifford Choi

Description

In the life of Mr. Lai Man-wai, he had seen the most turbulent times of recent Chinese history. From the fall of the Qing Dynasty to the founding of the Republic, from the Sino-Japanese War to the founding of the People’s Republic. With a patriotic spirit, he joined the revolution and used the theatre to promote the revolutionary course. For a ‘stronger China’, and ‘education for all’, he chose film as his life long goal and career. Lai was more than the father of Hong Kong cinema was; he was also one of the pioneers of the Chinese cinema. He made Hong Kong’s first short fiction film ‘Zhuangzi Tests His Wife’. He opened the first Chinese owned cinema, the New World Cinema, in Hong Kong…. In the several decades, Lai had devoted his life and fortune in writing this glorious inaugural chapter in early Chinese film history. The technical enhancement, the introduction of foreign techniques and equipment were all part of his contribution to the Chinese cinema.