Hong Kong Filmmakers Share Their Stories in Kuala Lumpur
From on-set mishaps and audition setbacks to lessons learned over decades in film, Hong Kong filmmakers shared candid stories of their journeys, challenges and passion for cinema with audiences and students in Kuala Lumpur.
“People are allowed to be vulnerable. We’re allowed to be lazy sometimes. If you fall, why not rest for a while before getting back up?”
Speaking about how actors deal with failure during a university talk at the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur, Renci YEUNG offered a different take on the familiar advice to “get back up” after a setback. Instead, she joked that sometimes you simply need to “take a break” — give yourself time to rest, and face the problem again when you are ready.
Alongside six Hong Kong films, this year’s programme featured post-screening Q&As and three university talks, bringing Hong Kong filmmakers closer to local audiences and students. Their stories ranged from accidents during shoots and injuries on set to failed auditions, early supporting roles and Elaine JIN’s reflections on a career spanning decades. Different as their experiences were, they shared a common thread: adapting to challenges, learning from setbacks and making the most of every role and every shot.
Wakesurf Lovers: Behind the Water Scenes
Kevin CHU and Renci YEUNG entered the industry around the same time and have known each other for years. Looking back, Kevin joked that when they first started out, they were young newcomers with “plenty of collagen” and energy to spare. Nearly a decade later, after taking on different projects and roles, working together again on Wakesurf Lovers came with a greater sense of chemistry and understanding.
With wakesurfing at the heart of the film, the cast underwent extensive training before filming began. Renci admitted that the process was challenging, particularly as an old injury had affected her confidence. With the encouragement of Kevin and Jeffrey NGAI, however, the three trained from summer through winter, gradually building their skills through repeated practice.
The shoot brought its own surprises. Kevin recalled that after a day of filming on the water, their boat suddenly began smoking. As the crew rushed to secure the footage they had just shot, someone shouted, “Forget about us — save the memory card first!” The story drew laughter from the audience while offering a glimpse into the dedication behind the production.
Behind the Dark Humour of Unidentified Murder
Packed with dark humour and an unusual murder mystery, Unidentified Murder presented its cast with an unexpected challenge: keeping a straight face.
At the post-screening Q&A, Renci shared that the actors often had to “hold it in” when a scene became too funny. LING Man Lung, she said, was particularly good at making his co-stars laugh while somehow remaining completely straight-faced himself. There were inevitably moments when the cast failed to contain their laughter, and some of those spontaneous reactions even made it into the final cut, adding another layer to the film’s dark humour.
Bird of Paradise Finds a Connection Beyond the Screen
The post-screening Q&A for Bird of Paradise brought an unexpected connection between the film and its audience. A pole-dancing teacher had invited one of her students to the screening — a mother whose own experience resonated with the film’s story of women rediscovering themselves through their interests.
Elaine JIN also found a personal connection with her character. Having experienced marriage and family life herself, she understood how a woman’s life can gradually come to revolve around her roles as a wife and mother, and what it means to rediscover a sense of self. That connection was one of the reasons she was drawn to the role.
Another audience member, who attended with her husband, shared how she had spent years moving from place to place because of his work. While her experience echoed aspects of the film, she said she still enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of that lifestyle. Her warm exchanges with her husband during the conversation brought smiles to the room, as the film opened up a wider conversation about the different experiences of women and the connections they found in one another’s stories.
Three Actors on Auditions, Rejection and Finding Their Way
The Gala also brought Hong Kong filmmakers to Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology for three university talks. In From Sports and Modelling to the Silver Screen, Angela YUEN, Kevin CHU and Renci YEUNG shared how they entered the industry and learned to navigate auditions, rejection and uncertainty.
Kevin recalled starting out in commercials, as an extra and in small roles. During one early shoot, he was scolded by the director after standing in the wrong place and blocking Louis KOO from the camera. Angela, meanwhile, once made it to the final stage of an audition only to lose the role. When the original actress later withdrew because of a scheduling conflict, Angela was called back just two weeks before filming and ultimately landed the part. Their experiences showed students how an acting career is often built through repeated attempts, setbacks and unexpected opportunities.
When asked about dealing with failure, Renci challenged the idea that people always need to get back on their feet immediately. “If I’m not ready, I’ll just fall again if I get up,” she joked. Her advice was simple: when you are tired, give yourself permission to rest. “Sometimes in life, you just need to take a break,” she said, before trying again when you are ready.
New Directors on Finding Their Creative Voice
In another university talk, Origins of Creation and Director’s Vision, Keane WONG and Joey WU shared their journeys as filmmakers.
Keane entered the film industry at 19, beginning with work at an equipment company and on film sets before meeting Derek YEE and gradually finding his way into directing. Asked what matters most in filmmaking, his answer was simple: “Script, script and script.” He also encouraged aspiring directors to have the confidence to call for “one more take” on set.
Joey, meanwhile, often finds inspiration in everyday life. A conversation with her mother inspired one of her projects, driven by a desire to encourage her to pursue the things she loved. She also described editing as a film’s “second creation”: even a favourite scene sometimes has to go if it does not move the story forward or deepen its characters.
Elaine JIN: A Cross-Generational Conversation on Cinema
With decades of acting experience and multiple Best Supporting Actress honours behind her, Elaine JIN had a refreshingly simple reflection on her career: “I’m happy as long as there’s work.”
Without a manager mapping out her career, Elaine worked her way up through one small role after another. For her, whether a role is big or small, what matters most is giving it her best.
She takes a similarly instinctive approach to acting. Rather than planning every reaction in advance, Elaine prefers to truly listen to her scene partner and respond to the emotions of the moment. She also believes that life experience naturally becomes part of an actor’s craft, bringing new perspectives to characters at different stages of life.
From audition rejections and small beginnings to the painstaking process of developing a script, the three university talks gave Malaysian students an opportunity to discover the work, persistence and experiences behind the screen through filmmakers from different generations of Hong Kong cinema.
Through its post-screening Q&As and university talks, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur brought those stories beyond the cinema, giving Malaysian audiences and aspiring filmmakers a closer look at the experiences, dedication and resilience that continue to shape Hong Kong cinema.
