Contributor: Sarah Yu
Films take us on a compelling journey where we transcend physical boundaries and immerse ourselves in the world of stories.
Supported by The Office of the Arts Administrator, the I·CARE Theatre in 2022-23 arranged seven screenings of selected films of different eras and themes. Each of the screenings was followed by a post-screening sharing by guests. The first film screened in the first term was Drive My Car; Prof. Eric Poon and Dr. Li Mei-ting were invited to share with the audience the art of releasing emotional entanglement. The second screening was of The Book Thief; at the post-screening sharing session, Dr. Allan Au guided the audience through reading the original novel and discussed how we may sustain the best of our humanity and kindness during the worst times. As for the third screening, it was of a French lesbian film Portrait of a Lady on Fire; Dr. Sonia Wong and Dr. Li Mei-ting had an in-depth exchange with the audience on sexuality and gender identity.
In the second term, the first screening comprised two films, namely The Eagle Shooting Heroes: Dong Cheng Xi Ju and Ashes of Time Redux, which were acted by the same group of artists; Thomas Shin, a veteran film critic, was invited to share with the audience the fun facts about filming the two films with the same group of actors and to analyse from the production point of view how the films could become the local classics. The second screening was of Dead Poet Society which starred Robin Williams; Prof. Donna Chu and Prof. Cheng Kai-ming, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong, shared with the audience the meaning of education and recounted the change of education system over the past few decades. As for the third screening (i.e. the finale of this academic year), it was of Rouge which was adapted from the novel written by the Hong Kong writer Lee Pik-wah; director Stanley Kwan and Thomas Shin had a conversation which covered the behind-the-scene stories of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, as well as the transformation that the Central and Western areas had undergone throughout the years. Director Kwan also shared his advice on filmmaking with students who wish to enter the film industry.