Marriage is considered by many as a union of love – a beautiful celebration of two people promising to stick together through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, and “till death do us part”. Now imagine how you would feel if, on the eve of your big day, your beloved (or, in some…
Johnnie To has revealed that he has been working on a Hong Kong-set drama entitled Hope for the past three years exploring the current state of play in his home territory. He also confirmed rumors that surfaced in late 2024 that he is planning to shoot a gangster movie in Japan’s mountainous Hokkaido region at…
This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. International co-productions, where two or more countries join forces to fund a film, usually end up being less than the sum of their parts. Outside interference can water down an original vision; more…
Hong Kong director-producer Johnnie To has been scouting locations for a new action movie in northern Japan, leading to hopes that he will soon return to directing. To has been spotted either checking out locations or meeting with local government officials in Sapporo and Kita Hiroshima, both located in the snowy northern district of Hokkaido,…
Two Beijing-backed newspapers in Hong Kong have slammed award-winning filmmaker Johnnie To, who said in an interview with BBC News Chinese that the city no longer had free speech and human rights. Hong Kong director Johnnie To in an interview with BBC News Chinese aired on November 2, 2024. Photo: BBC News Chinese YouTube screenshot….
Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To talked through his long career, including his free-wheeling style of shooting, in conversation with Japanese director Yu Irie at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). He also acknowledged that Hong Kong filmmakers now have less freedom than they once had. Yu Irie, this year’s director in focus in TIFF’s Nippon Cinema…