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2012 marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China. To celebrate the occasion, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO) hosted a reception on the opening night of the Hong Kong Film Festival in Berlin yesterday (July 5, Berlin time) which pays tribute to the extraordinary story of this vibrant and energetic city through the eyes of its filmmakers.
In his welcoming remarks, the Acting Director of the HKETO, Mr Bryan Ha, underlined the successful implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and the Basic Law, "during the past 15 years, Hong Kong people have been administering Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy. The flourishing development of our creative industries is a testimony to the civil liberties and freedom of expression enjoyed by our people."
For decades, the city was known as the "Hollywood of the East", and its unique "action cinema" genre remains a potent force in international cinema. In recent years, the local film industry has diversified and broke fresh ground. Hong Kong's film talents have also gained increasing recognition from the international film industry over the years. At the 68th Venice International Film Festival, Ms Deanie Ip was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her leading role in "A Simple Life". Selected as the opening film at the Hong Kong Film Festival in Berlin, "A Simple Life" was directed by acclaimed director Miss Ann Hui.
About 200 guests attended the reception and the screening in Hackesche Hö fe cinema, among them, senior government officials from the German federal and the Berlin state governments including Permanent Secretary of the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research, Mr Christoph von Knobelsdorff; Ambassador Director for Public Diplomacy and Dialogue among Civilizations of the German Federal Foreign Office, Dr Heinrich Kreft; Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Ms Mary Chow; and charge d' affairs of the Chinese embassy, Minister Li Nianping. Diplomats, as well as leading figures from the cultural and business sector also graced the occasion.
As a special guest, Mr Roger Lee, producer and writer of "A Simple Life", visited Berlin and shared his experiences with the audience after the screening," with the freedom of expression in Hong Kong, the city is an ideal location for breeding creative talents. Filmmakers in Hong Kong are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with our European counterparts."
"A Simple Life" is currently in competition for the best international film at the Munich Film Festival which will be announced on July 7. Mr Ha was present at the German premiere of the film in Munich on July 3 and underlined the success of Hong Kong's film industry in his welcoming remarks. After the screening, the film received a round of resounding applauses from an audience of about 200 including key interlocutors of the cultural and business sectors.
The Hong Kong Film Festival in Berlin continues until Sunday and presents a wide range of productions from multi-million dollar blockbusters such as "The Great Magician" to independent productions such as "Big Blue Lake".
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the HKSAR, HKETO will organise a series of events. After the film festival in Berlin, Dusseldorf (August 3-6 , Dusseldorf Film Museum), and Hamburg (August 16-31 , Metropolis Cinema) will also host their own editions of the Hong Kong Film Festival. The Hong Kong Children Choir will travel to Germany to stage concerts in Berlin's Lindenkirche and Hamburg's Miralles Saal on August 23 and August 26 respectively. There will also be celebration events in other cities under the purview of the HKETO.
Ends/Saturday, July 7, 2012
Issued at HKT 02:20
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