A Series of Post-Screening Q&As in Yogyakarta Highlights Dialogue Across Generations of Hong Kong Filmmakers
Ann Hui and Man Lim Chung join emerging Hong Kong filmmakers in sharing their creative journeys with Indonesian audiences
“In Hong Kong, we rarely get to spend quality time with seniors like Man Lim Chung. But here, running together and visiting the world heritage site Borobudur, we built a friendship that transcends generations,” director Mandrew Kwan shared his feelings at the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation in Yogyakarta. The trip has fostered unique bonds among the delegates.
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Yogyakarta, presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) and in collaboration with the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF), is funded by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) and the Film Development Fund, with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Jakarta.
The event returned for its second edition to enthusiastic acclaim. Under the theme “Together We Dare to Direct,” the programme showcased a curated selection of Hong Kong films. A special highlight was the “Director Ann Selection,” featuring July Rhapsody , A Simple Life , and the documentary Keep Rolling directed by Man Lim Chung, offering a retrospective of the legendary filmmaker’s career. Together with screenings of Sons of the Neon Night, Four Trails, The Remnant, Another World , Someone Like Me , the restored classic The Killer , and the “Hong Kong Short Film Collection,” the Gala presented a comprehensive view of the heritage and innovation of Hong Kong cinema. A delegation including Ann Hui, acclaimed Hong Kong Film Awards-winning art director Man Lim Chung, directors Robin Lee, Mandrew Kwan, and Ivan Cheung, and still photographer Quist Tsang travelled to Yogyakarta to engage deeply with local audiences and promote Hong Kong cinema to Indonesian cinephiles.
In the post-screening Q&A for the restored classic July Rhapsody , Ann Hui and Man Lim Chung reunited on stage to revisit their first collaboration. Man revealed that it was his first time working with Ann Hui, who was already highly acclaimed, while he was still early in his career, making him nervous at that time. Recalling the casting process, both filmmakers spoke highly Karena Lam, who was a newcomer back then, for her “unparalleled aura” which was perfect for the role.
Speaking about working with superstars Jacky Cheung and Anita Mui, Man shared a little-known anecdote, “Audiences often wonder if stars refuse to wear ordinary or old clothes. On the contrary, they were incredibly cooperative. To capture the film’s weary atmosphere, they willingly wore the second-hand, worn-out clothes we bought without complaint, solely focused on presenting the best state for their characters.”
During the Q&A for Keep Rolling, Man Lim Chung explained why he decided to make the documentary. While Ann Hui is widely recognised as an award-winning master filmmaker, including Lifetime Achievement Awards. Man, who had worked closely with her for many years since July Rhapsody, described that Ann’s everyday side was rarely seen. He wanted to capture that side of her life. He described Ann as someone who lives simply, enjoying everyday pleasures, such as egg tarts and milk tea at local cafés (cha-chaan-teng).
Man also shared that Ann Hui is not particularly fond of being filmed. Keep Rolling premiered as the opening film of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF). Although Ann attended the premiere and posed for photos, she felt shy about seeing her face on the big screen and chose not to watch the film. It was only three or four months later when the film was officially released, after hearing positive feedback from friends, that she finally decided to see it.
As an art and costume designer, Man candidly admitted that he does not consider himself a professional director. On Keep Rolling, he also handled cinematography and editing, and humbly noted that some camera movements were not particularly polished. “I’m not a famous director,” he said with a smile, hoping audiences would still enjoy the film.
Man also recalled a humorous incident during filming. Nervous about not having enough footages, he spent nearly three years filming Ann Hui almost nonstop whenever he saw her. Once, while they were having a meal together and chatting casually about other people, Ann suddenly realised she was being filmed and became angry, saying, “Stop making this film, don’t release it!” Thankfully, she soon calmed down. After that, they agreed not to film her endlessly. Instead, they conducted a final in-depth interview to ask everything Man wanted, followed by one last day of filming Ann’s daily life, which eventually completed the filming of the documentary.
Still photographer Quist Tsang shared her visual design concepts during the Sons of the Neon Night Q&A. She explained that since the film is black and white, she focused on retaining that base while adding splashes of bright red, like blood, for visual impact, striking visual impact and the aestheticization of violence.
Compared to other productions she had worked on, Quist described the atmosphere on set of Sons of the Neon Night as particularly tense. Crew members rarely spoke, quietly waiting for the director’s instructions.
Some Indonesian audience members noted that the role of a “still photographer” does not exist in their local industry and were curious about what the job. Quist explained that still photography requires a more detached perspective. She studies upcoming scenes with the crew in advance to anticipate critical moments and capture split-second images. She also noted that stills play an important role in film promotion. Images and videos are often more immediately engaging and attractive than text, helping audiences decide whether to watch the film or not.
“If you don’t have any scars from shooting gunfight films, how can you actually say you’ve filmed a gunfight film?” she joked, describing her experience photographing action scenes. While gunfights and explosions are dangerous, she said her priority is always to find the best position to capture the decisive moment. She expressed pride in contributing to such an action-driven film as a still photographer.
“Wow! I had no idea Hong Kong had scenery like this!” many audiences exclaimed during the post-screening discussion of the documentary Four Trails. Director Robin Lee showcased Hong Kong’s little-known yet breathtaking mountain landscapes, sparking lively discussion. Audiences were also amazed by the idea of running through mountains for three days without sleep.
Many were curious about how Robin and his team managed to capture such moving moments without running the entire race with the runners. As a filmmaker who frequently shoots trail-running documentaries, Robin was already familiar with Hong Kong’s four trails and conducted extensive research beforehand, learning about each runner’s background, plans, and estimated arrival times at different checkpoints, so the crew could be ready in advance. However, unexpected situations still arose. “I might plan to film someone running uphill at point A, but for some reasons they end up arriving at point B instead, and we miss the shot,” he said. That is why his team tried to capture as much footages as possible. Robin believes the unique enchantment of both documentary filmmaking and the endurance sports lies in this uncertainty. For example, the fastest runner in the film only confirmed his participation three months before the race, with limited preparation. These unpredictable, passionate stories, he said, are what make the documentary truly precious.
During the post-screening Q&A for The Remnant, director Mandrew Kwan shared his love for the romantic brotherhood often found in John Woo’s films, and his desire to recreate that spirit in his own work. He reflected on how films from that era portrayed romance, not just between people, but within the city itself, which deeply inspired him.
When asked about the production timeline, Mandrew revealed that the entire shooting lasted just over ten days, surprising many audience, “so this is how fast Hong Kong filmmakers work!” they remarked. Mandrew added that as this was his first feature film and the schedule was extremely tight, there were many things did not turn out as what he had originally planned, and he felt he could have done better.
Director Ivan Cheung said he was delighted to bring his short films to Indonesia and was pleasantly surprised that the screenings were almost full house. “I didn’t expect the audience here to be so supportive of short films,” he said. Many local Indonesian short filmmakers attended the post-screening session, leading to enthusiastic exchanges.
When the audience knew that Ivan worked with a very small budget, they were impressed by the creativity of his films. They praised the strong visual approach of the black-and-white Tomatoes are Poisonous and the intentionally unstable camera movement in The Apple of My Eyes, noting that the sense of chaos was handled effectively.
After the screening, a local short film director even took an egg out and gave it to Ivan as a greeting gift, jokingly said that it was a random item found in his bag. Ivan cheerfully accepted the unusual but memorable gift.
Under the theme “Together We Dare to Direct,” this year’s Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Yogyakarta traced a journey from classic reflections by Ann Hui and Man Lim Chung to the creative experiments and market explorations of emerging filmmakers. Through a series of lively post-screening discussions, the event highlighted the passing of creative spirit across generations and the courage to innovate, bringing the programme to a close with warm applause and opening a new chapter in cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Anchored by the theme “Together We Dare to Direct,” the Yogyakarta edition demonstrated the spirit of Hong Kong filmmakers, from Ann Hui’s enduring passion and her classic retrospectives with Man Lim Chung to the new generation’s bold exploration of new markets. The event concluded amidst warm applause, marking another successful chapter in the cinematic dialogue between Hong Kong and Indonesia.
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