The Hong Kong Film Archive is a local history museum located on the waterfront of Sai Wan Ho. It was formed in 1993 to collect, preserve and screen Hong Kong films and other videotapes.
In 2011, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) handed over 1000 films, ranging from the 1930s to the 1990s. These included the earliest recorded Chinese film, Little Heroine, from 1939, as well as the earliest Hong Kong film, Female Spy 76, from 1947. Aside from old films, the HKFA also has a myriad of Cantonese operas, a genre which saw its peak during the 1950s and the 1960s; 633 of the operas recorded during this time are still available for viewing. After this period, only four Cantonese operas were produced in Hong Kong, namely, ‘Laugh In The Sleeve’ (1975), ‘Princess Chang Ping’ (1976), ‘The Legend Of The Purple Hairpin’ (1977) and ‘The Legend of Lee Heung Kwan’ (1990).
The HKFA regularly does film screenings in their 125-seat cinema, but ever since the onslaught of COVID-19, they have run several online programmes, including seminars about film stills and a morning matinee in commemoration of the 30th death anniversary of the ‘Versatile Opera Queen’, Tang Bik-wan.
Aside from its cinema, the HKFA is equipped with a resource centre which houses a variety of collection items, ranging from old books and magazines to audiovisual media. Any lover of classical Hong Kong media could simply get lost in its seemingly endless rows of Hong Kong history.
For a film enthusiast, a history buff or just anyone who would want to see a slice of Hong Kong culture, the film archive is a must-see location. Within the simplicity of its walls hide endless tales of tragedy, comedy and romance. From award-winning directors to actors, as well as the occasional opera, the Hong Kong Film Archive offers a nostalgic set of lenses through which history can be revisited firsthand.
Sources
Film Archive Staff, (n.d.). The Hong Kong Film Archive
HKFA Official. Retrieved February 21 2022, from https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en_US/web/hkfa/home.html
Tripadvisor Staff (n.d.) Hong Kong Film Archive
Trip Advisor. Retrieved February 25th 2022, from
Wikipedia Staff (n.d.) Hong Kong Film Archive
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. Retrieved March 21st 2022, from
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