Hong Kong director Chow Kwun-wai, known for his work on "Revolution of Our Times," relocated filming of his new film, "Deadline" (tentative title), to Taiwan due to being labeled a sensitive person in Hong Kong to address location and crew issues. He described it as a necessary move, but also a new way out of restrictions. Some Hong Kong actors and crew members, unafraid of crossing the "red line," joined his team and showed their support for Chow Kwun-wai.
After the release of "Revolution of Our Times," a 2019 documentary about the anti-extradition bill movement, Hong Kong director Chow Kwun-wai's name has become a red-line sensitive word in Hong Kong. His previous film, "Illusion of Love," was forced to cancel its re-release in Hong Kong, and he also faced numerous difficulties in preparing for his new film, "Deadline" (tentative title), which explores schoolchild suicide and student pressure.
Zhou Guanwei had difficulty finding people and venues in Hong Kong, and moving to Taiwan gave him hope.
Zhou Guanwei gave an exclusive interview to our station during filming in Taiwan. He said that due to various reasons, he was unable to realize his new filming plan in Hong Kong, and tried to move to Taiwan to find a new way out.
Zhou Guanwei said, "For this film (his new film "Deadline"), I needed a secondary school, but Hong Kong's secondary schools are very sensitive. As someone who filmed "Revolution of Our Times," I tried many times to find a secondary school in Hong Kong, but I couldn't find one. They (the secondary school leaders) really wanted to borrow it, but they couldn't. They were afraid, and they had different stakeholders who would have opinions and concerns. If I couldn't even find a school, how could I film this story? So I had no choice but to go to Taiwan to find a secondary school to shoot this new film. I think this is a solution."
He admitted that finding actors and crew for a new film under the name "Chow Kwun-wai" would be a challenge in today's Hong Kong, where red lines are everywhere. He said the main obstacle to filming in Taiwan is his poor Mandarin skills. If he can overcome this, it would be easier to find willing collaborators in Taiwan than in Hong Kong, and he would also enjoy the freedom of filming. Even if he is banned in Hong Kong, it would give him the opportunity and possibility to continue making films.
Zhou Guanwei said, "Of course it was difficult. The hardest part was that every time I spoke Mandarin, I didn't know what I was saying. Filming in Taiwan is very difficult because the director needs to communicate, and communication relies on the language we use. I feel like I've lost a lot of language here because when I speak Mandarin, it seems like I have no words to use and need to rely on an interpreter. This is a challenge for me. I'm a relatively optimistic and positive person, or rather, optimism and positivity are a survival strategy. I must stay this way to keep going."
Ignoring the sensitive "Zhou Guanwei" incident, Hong Kong actors and photographers support
Numerous Best Actor winner Anthony Wong is the only Hong Kong actor to appear in Chow Kwun-wai's new film. In an interview with this station, he explained that he learned through an intermediary over a year ago that Chow Kwun-wai wanted to film a story about schoolchild suicide. He suggested that Chow move the filming to Taiwan to address the issue of finding suitable locations. He joked that before agreeing to the role, he hadn't filmed a Chinese-funded film in over a decade and hadn't considered whether participating in Chow Kwun-wai's new film would bring any complications.
Anthony Wong said, "What does it have to do with people? We make movies because we're making the movie. We have to see if the script makes sense, if the story makes sense. For example, if this movie is about the Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, it wouldn't feel right if I moved to Taiwan. So don't overthink politics. I never think about other people when I do things. If you think about politics, it's like thinking about religion or someone's sexual orientation—just as insane. That's how I live my life. I don't care what you believe in. I just look at the story and your ability to do it. It's that simple."
Szeto Yat-lui, who served as cinematographer on Chow Kwun-wai's new film, previously worked with Chow on the film "The Legend of Mir 2" and is the only Hong Kong member of the crew of the new film "Deadline" (tentative title). He said that upon learning of the project, he felt compelled to participate.
Szeto Yi-lei said, "On the contrary, when I heard the name Chow Kwun-wai, I was very excited. I felt that he could still make a movie, so I felt that I had to go for it. It's very rare. He previously made "Time Revolution," and recently Hong Kong couldn't even show "Fantasy Love" (another Chow Kwun-wai film). I think it's a bit ridiculous, so I think I still need to support him. I'm not afraid. I don't think too much about this kind of thing (pressure). Maybe other people who work with him would be a little worried, but I don't think he has broken any laws, nor is he someone who promotes bad ideas. As long as there are no problems with the script, I think I can still help."
Although Chow Kwun-wai has become one of Hong Kong's many sensitive words, whether his new work can be screened in Hong Kong is still a question mark. However, Szeto Ik-lui stated that if things go against his wishes and the new work cannot be shown on the big screen in Hong Kong, there are many online channels that can provide Hong Kong audiences with the opportunity to continue watching Chow Kwun-wai's works.
