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The Doc Films of the University of Chicago with the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York, (HKETONY) is holding a film series entitled "Hong Kong Master: The Innovative Kung Fu of Lau Kar-leung" to pay tribute to the contribution of the late Master Lau to the martial arts film genre. The retrospective held at the Max Palesvsky Cinema from January 7 to March 11 features ten of his signature films from the 1970s to 1990s.
Speaking to the audience before the screening of one of his most famous works "Legend of the Drunken Master" (1994) today (January 21, Chicago time), Director of HKETONY, Miss Anita Chan, said the retrospective aimed to pay tribute to the great Hong Kong-based Chinese martial artist, filmmaker and choreographer whose trendsetting film career spanned more than 60 years. It also provided a chance to appreciate his films as a distinctive body of work and to place his art within a greater cultural context.
Master Lau, a fourth-generation direct disciple of martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung, passed away in June 2013. He was the first action choreographer to have transitioned to film directing and his directing work was characterised by a strict adherence to the principles of martial arts. He was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Hong Kong Film Awards for his contribution to the Kung Fu film genre.
Besides "Legend of the Drunken Master", the other nine films showing in the retrospective are: "The Delightful Forest" (1972), "The Men From the Monastery" (1974), "Challenge of the Masters" (1976), "Dirty Ho" (1979), "Return to the 36th Chamber" (1980), "My Young Auntie" (1981), "Martial Club" (1981), "Cat vs Rat" (1982), and "Disciples of the 36th Chamber" (1985).
There is also an exhibition entitled "My Way, Lau Kar-leung", which was curated by the Hong Kong Film Archive in Hong Kong last fall, in the cinema lobby to provide the Chicago movie-goers memorable stills from his films and details on the master's groundbreaking filmmaking career.
The Doc Films is regarded as the longest continuously running student film society in the United States, looking back on a more than 75 year old history. Many film directors, among them Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen and John Ford, have visited the Doc Films to present films and lead discussions. Over the decades the Doc Films has hosted a number of Chicago premieres, giving the city its first glimpse of such masterpieces as Jean Renoir's "The Rules of the Game" (1939); Robert Bresson's "Au hasard Balthazar" (1966) and Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" (2005).
Ends/Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 10:31
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