Why Hong Kong cinema can learn from a Chinese war film phenomenon
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
A Chinese war film depicting an unnamed conflict widely recognized as the US-led Iraq invasion has become a cultural phenomenon, projected to reach 2.5 billion yuan (US$372.5 million) largely through word of mouth . An opinion piece published in late August argues that Hong Kong cinema's decline cannot be reversed by simply demanding more authentic local content. The author contends that treating local identity as industrial policy mistakes an industry problem for an identity problem. The film's success offers a different diagnostic lens: why do some films travel across borders while others remain trapped by expectations attached to where they were made?
Key Points
- The film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" earned approximately 2.5 billion yuan through word-of-mouth popularity rather than marketing budgets
- Hong Kong and overseas release of the film is expected to revive geopolitical debates over Chinese commercial cinema entering Western narrative territory
- Standard diagnoses of Hong Kong cinema's decline focus on co-productions corroding craft and filmmakers chasing mainland money
- In the 1950s-1960s, Shaw Brothers and other Singapore-based studios financed Hong Kong films and distributed them through regional cinema networks
- Migration and language networks created an interconnected Southeast Asian market that sustained Hong Kong cinema's golden era
Why It Matters
The article challenges prevailing narratives about revitalizing Hong Kong cinema by proposing that authentic local identity alone cannot serve as an industrial policy. The success of a mainland Chinese war film in providing emotional resonance across regions suggests that Hong Kong filmmakers might find renewed relevance by understanding how compelling storytelling transcends geopolitical boundaries rather than retreating into narrowly defined cultural assertions .
The article challenges prevailing narratives about revitalizing Hong Kong cinema by proposing that authentic local identity alone cannot serve as an industrial policy. The success of a mainland Chinese war film in providing emotional resonance across regions suggests that Hong Kong filmmakers might find renewed relevance by understanding how compelling storytelling transcends geopolitical boundaries rather than retreating into narrowly defined cultural assertions .