Qi REN YUE DUI (SEPTET: THE STORY OF HONG KONG) (2020)

 

Qi REN YUE DUI (SEPTET: THE STORY OF HONG KONG) (2020)

Seven great masters of Hong Kong cinema and seven short stories set in successive decades from the 1950s to today. This is an extraordinary idea of an outstanding action filmmaker, Johnny To, who invited the legends of local cinematography: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Woo-ping, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. 

In the film SEPTET (2020), the creators return to their own artistic roots, looking with nostalgia, emotion and reflection at the phenomena and changes that influenced the history of the region, shaped their own biographies and gave each of them a unique, individual character of creativity. The film combines 3 elements: the traditions of Cantonese drama cinema, the courage of the Hong Kong new wave and, above all, action cinema loved by viewers around the world. 

Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, actor, producer and director, returns in his episode (EXERCISE) to the 1950s and the exhausting study in the restrictive dance and martial arts school that raised the most recognized actors of the genre. 

Ann Hui (HEADMASTER) focuses on the educational boom of the 1960s, when overcrowded schools held classes even on the roofs of buildings. 

Patrick Tam (TENDER IS THE NIGHT), new wave director and mentor of Wong Kar-wai, takes us back to the 1980s (a time of economic uncertainty and mass migration) through the eyes of two teenagers facing a painful parting.

Yuen Woo-ping (HOMECOMING), the legendary choreographer and action director, has created a beautiful, endearing story about an elderly man and his little granddaughter. The story of intergenerational relations takes place on the eve of Hong Kong being handed over to China in 1997. 

Johnnie To (BONANZA), in turn, takes us into the 21st century and shows the fate of three friends looking for an opportunity to get rich quickly in a dynamically developing city. 

For Ringo Lam (ASTRAY), who died in 2018, the starting point is the return of an emigrant (played by Simon Yam, lost in the architecturally changing Hong Kong), who rediscovers his hometown in 2010. This episode also shows how the younger generations are getting Western manners, and not all of them are welcome. 

It would be good to remember that love for Hong Kong is not just love for history, architecture, tradition, physical skills of wushu or art. This love manifests itself above all in interpersonal relationships. And here we have this love in many guises: Starting with the martial arts teacher, who consistently (sometimes too consistently) wants to shape physical and mental strength, and school teachers, whom we remember so fondly after many years, how much they really gave us, and how subtly they did it, through love young lovers, through a tender and playful grandfather-granddaughter relationship, and ending with a family rediscovering and building ties after the return of a family member. 

The last episode is CONVERSATION IN DEPTH by Tsui Hark - the maestro of spectacular blocbusters. In this episode we see all the creators of the movie in their and non-their roles. Tsui Hark decided to think ahead: this most surprising episode takes place in a psychiatric hospital. The therapeutic conversation between the doctor and the patient takes an unexpected turn, and the question about the characters' identities remains unanswered. Could it be the same with the identity of today's Hong Kong? 

This diversity in approach to episodes and the ways in which they were realized by seven directors provide a solid foundation and legacy for current and future generations of Hong Kong filmmakers. The film is supposed to be a farewell to filmmakers and the extraordinary history of Hong Kong cinema - but also an inspiration for young Hong Kong artists who, taking over the baton from their masters, will create and continue their own works.