The BFI South Bank celebrates Hong Kong cinema and one of its most iconic actress Maggie Cheung via a special season between September and October.
Presenting 10 films from Cheung’s peak career, the season is put together by programmer Kimberley Sheehan. Introducing the season in her curatorial notes:
Maggie Cheung’s entry into film began with a plethora of roles in fun 80s Hong Kong comedy and action films such as Jackie Chan’s Police Story, but her dramatic breakthrough came with Wong Kar Wai’s As Tears Go By. This working relationship became the most notable of her career, as together they crafted beloved heroines of passionate, restrained romance. Yet Cheung’s filmography is defined by her versatility. It bursts with many distinctive auteurs including Stanley Kwan, Ann Hui, and Olivier Assayas, telling complex stories of displacement, identity and femininity, while also taking wildly entertaining turns in big-scale fantasy epics from directors like Johnnie To and Tsui Hark. Sparkling through a range of genres and languages, Cheung is simultaneously a sensitive performer and an irresistible comedienne, carrying the aura and presence of a classic film star. From lovers to warriors, reptiles to rock stars, join us as we journey through the magic of some of her greatest performances.
The season is divide into four sub-themes: “Illusory Lives”, “A Match Made in Hong Kong”, “Migration Stories” and “Action and Wuxia”.
Illusory Lives
Irma Vep (1996)
Dir. Olivier Assayas
Monday 09 September 2024 20:30
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:50
Saturday 05 October 2024 20:50
The Actress (aka Center Stage) (1991)
Dir. Stanley Kwan
Sunday 15 September 2024 18:00
Saturday 21 September 2024 20:10
Clean (2004)
Dir. Olivier Assayas
Thursday 03 October 2024 18:00
Tuesday 08 October 2024 20:45
A Fishy Story (1989)
Dir. Anthony Chan
Sunday 22 September 2024 18:10
A Match Made in Hong Kong
As Tears Go By (1988)
Dir. Wong Kar-wai
Saturday 28 September 2024 20:30
Saturday 05 October 2024 12:30
Days of Being Wild (1990)
Dir. Wong Kar-wai
Friday 27 September 2024 18:20
Monday 07 October 2024 20:50
In The Mood for Love (2000)
Dir. Wong Kar-wai
Friday 27 September 2024 20:45
Saturday 05 October 2024 18:15
Tuesday 08 October 2024 18:30
Migration Stories
Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996)
Dir. Peter Chan
Saturday 21 September 2024 17:30
Monday 30 September 2024 20:35
Farewell China (1990)
Dir. Clara Law
Wednesday 11 September 2024 20:45
Monday 23 September 2024 18:00
Song of the Exile (1990)
Dir. Ann Hui
Sunday 29 September 2024 12:40
Action and Wuxia
Green Snake (1993)
Dir. Tsui Hark
Thursday 12 September 2024 20:45
Saturday 28 September 2024 18:20
The Heroic Trio (1993)
Dir. Jonnie To
Saturday 14 September 2024 18:35
Friday 04 October 2024 20:50
Hero (2002)
Dir. Zhang Yimou
Monday 23 September 2024 20:30
Sunday 06 October 2024 18:00
