HONG KONG — Acclaimed directors Stanley Kwan and Tsui Hark were among those honoured at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ honorary doctorate and fellowship ceremony on Tuesday, with screen icon Brigitte Lin attending to celebrate Hark’s receipt of an honorary doctorate.
Kwan, who received an honorary fellowship, appeared visibly nervous on stage. Speaking to reporters afterwards, the veteran filmmaker insisted he felt undeserving of the accolade.
“I’m not being modest. I’ve simply spent my career making films I love, and I was fortunate enough to be able to do so,” Kwan said.
The director took the opportunity to thank his early mentors at TVB in the late 1970s—including Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, and Terry Yu—whose guidance enabled him to later pass on his knowledge to university students.
Kwan revealed he is currently adapting a novel into a new screenplay, a project centred on a mother-daughter relationship. Casting has yet to be finalised, and filming is scheduled for next summer during his break from teaching duties.
Addressing his noticeably slimmer appearance, Kwan, 67, assured reporters his health was fine, attributing the weight loss to exercise. “I can’t be dragging a 90-kilogram body around a film set,” he joked.
Reflecting on five decades in the industry, Kwan named Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Chow Yun-fat, Sammi Cheng, and Elaine Jin as the actors he most admires and feels grateful to have worked with.
The filmmaker said the most difficult period was 2003, when both Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung passed away—two stars who had already agreed to appear in another of his projects.
“That film was shelved. If someone asks me to remake ‘Rouge,’ I’d ask: where do I find another Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung?” Kwan said, referencing his 1988 classic. “If another director wants to remake it, they can choose their own Flower and Twelve Young Master.”
Asked about the recent theft of Anita Mui’s ashes, Kwan expressed bewilderment. “I truly don’t understand why, and there’s nothing I can say about it,” he said.
Although Kwan has focused on producing in recent years, he cited rising talents including Yoyo Tse, Wu Kang-ren, Fish Liao, and Cecilia Yuen as performers he admires. When asked about Yuen’s public allegations of sexual harassment, Kwan said he had not followed the story.
The ceremony highlighted the enduring legacy of Hong Kong’s new wave filmmakers, with both honorees recognised for their substantial contributions to cinema and arts education. Tsui Hark, known for genre-defining works such as “Once Upon a Time in China” and the “Detective Dee” series, received the academy’s highest honour alongside Kwan’s fellowship.
The event underscores the continued international recognition of Hong Kong’s film industry, even as its veteran artists look toward nurturing the next generation of talent.
