Keep Rolling

On a buzzing red carpet, a 70-year-old short-haired woman strides towards the stage with confidence. Behind the red carpet, it’s a muddy path that leads to a movie studio in New Territories, Hong Kong. To her, glory and hardship are nothing more than just different paths that lead to the world of cinema. Born in Northeastern China, raised in Macau and educated in Hong Kong, Ann Hui stays true to her cultural heritage as a Chinese, yet she has always been fascinated by Western literature and therefore decided to further her studies in London. Eventually, she found movies. Through movies, she becomes fully immersed into the ‘East-meets-West’ culture and lifestyle of Hong Kong; She reconciles with her distant mother; And she gets to explore the cultural and social identity of her and the city she calls home. Movies also found her. Having learned from veteran auteur King Hu, her directorial debut became part of the impetus behind Hong Kong’s New Wave as she explores marginalized characters in her movies. 40 years have passed, Ann Hui experienced numerous ups and downs in her career, but the turn of the tide has never threatened her dedication and integrity towards movies. Her works embody her humanistic concerns and deep interests for the people of Hong Kong. On the lonely journey of discovery, her life is now full because of movies.