Produced by Andy Lau, Made in Hong Kong created quite a stir when it first hit the international film scene in 1997, establishing director Fruit Chan as a representative Asian filmmaker. Famously shot on leftover film stock, it channels the true spirit of independent film, utilizing real locations, unknown actors, and a creativity and resourcefulness not seen in Hong Kong cinema in some time. Low-level gangster Autumn Moon (Sam Lee) is one step short of a triad, and an ocean removed from respectability. Marginalized by society and perhaps his own poor self-image, he nonetheless attempts to make his mark on the world, finding direction in his connections to two young women. Moon’s quest for personal significance is full of startling violence, lyrical emotion and surprising irony, and Chan’s camera is right there, infusing this street-level Hong Kong tale with a vibrant and affecting immediacy.


Written by Fruit Chan. Photographed by O Sing-pui, Lam Wah-chuen. With Sam Lee, Neiky Yim Hui-chi, Wenders Li. (98 min. In Cantonese with subtitles, Focus Films)