The Four

There is a certain pleasure in being official blogger for the 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival. It's given me access to some of the most private parties being held this year. Best thing of all is that I get to share some of the happenings on the ground with you guys!This past week, I was at the Celebration Party of the 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop. And of course there were stars. Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, John Woo, Wu Bai... And personalities from the most fertile period of Hong Kong Cinema, Eric Tsang, Philip Chan, Alfred Cheung, John Shum, Teddy Robin...To be fair, in my previous life as a film and entertainment journalist, I developed a rather healthy skepticism towards celebrity. In effect, I've become rather inuered to being starstruck. But of course, despite the relentless parade of celebrities, some up-and-coming, others on the gentle spiral down, some young, some old, there are certain images that make you take a step back and just give a low whistle of amazement.So imagine, if you will, how surreal it is to be presented with this following image.The four. Andrew Lau, John Woo, Johnnie To and Tsui Hark. Four of the hardest working Hong Kong directors of the last twenty years. Together, sharing a drink. This picture, for me, symbolises the incredible fraternity that still exists in the Hong Kong film industry. And it really isn't a surprise. The four, these four have worked on each other's films numerous times over the years, and Tsui Hark, being the earliest to enter the industry, gave many of them opportunities as they themselves entered the industry.We all know the stories about John Woo getting his big break off A Better Tomorrow after being in a long creative and personal wilderness, but how many of you know that it was Tsui Hark who introduced John Woo to his leading man, Chow Yun Fatt? Not many I suppose. It's one of the many nuggets of information you'll find in the Catelogue to A Tribute to Romantic Visions: 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop, lovingly compiled by members of the HKIFF Society, and if I may say so, well worth its weight in gold. Go buy it! I mean it!