Asian Cinema Glamour at the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars

Alfred Hitchcock. Director. The Carpenters. Musicians. Audrey Hepburn.  Actress. The Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California is able to immortalize their sheen in the entertainment industry by providing each of them a star along Hollywood Boulevard.

But the stars are not concentrated only in America. Asia also has her very own definition of “cinema.” She has Wong Kar Wai, Gong Li and Bruce Lee, whose shimmer also extends beyond death. Located near Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, along Victoria Bay, an equally grand honorarium is established to immortalize these passionate movers of Hong Kong cinema.

 

THE IN-BETWEEN CINEMA

According to Prof. Poshek Fu of the University of Illinois, Hong Kong has become “a principal ideological battleground between the Free World and the Communist Bloc in Asia.” Being geographically located at the middle of mainland China and Taiwan, Hong Kong’s beliefs has always been politically divided, plus the fact that they have been a British colony for more than a hundred years.

And this philosophical identity crisis has greatly influenced their cinema. On Prof. Fu’s article at the American Historical Association website, he has said that Cantonese filmmakers have showed the everyday life in Hong Kong during the time, but have “generally refrained” from giving any sensitive opinions about China nor about the foreign government.

The viewfinder.

By the end of World War II, Hong Kong has started to take sides. Films featuring martial arts have become the trend and is said to be the outlet of the “anger and discontent” of the society towards Communism.

On his last note, Prof. Fu has said, “I came to recognize that movies, even those with apparent entertainment values, are never ideologically innocent. They are intricately and often ambiguously intertwined with history and politics.” Because of this, Hong Kong industry practitioners really deserve to be commemorated in this 440-meter walk along the bay.

THE STARS

The Hong Kong Film Awards Association Limited recognizes excellent performances in the industry by etching their names on shimmering stars.

The “Clark Kent who didn’t need to change outfit…”

One of the more prominent names along the avenue is that of Bruce Lee’s. His contributions to both the worlds of film and martial arts are not only honored with a star along Hollywood Walk of Fame but also with a star and a bronze statue along the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. He has not just been a star but also a shape-shifter of the Asian image as it struggles against the racial discriminations in the United States. In an article published by Time, writer Joel Steinn said, “In an America where the Chinese were still stereotyped as meek house servants and railroad workers, Bruce Lee was… a Clark Kent who didn’t need to change outfits.”

“I hate love stories.”

On the other hand, being the first Asian to win a Best Director award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival has automatically granted Wong Kar Wai a spot along the bay. Known for the romance of Happy Together, Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, Wong has said in an interview by Time that, ironically, he hated love stories. “They sell prettiness. I don’t do that. There’s more to life than love,” uttered the filmmaker who has given love a different definition in his films.

Another name that has made waves across the globe is Gong Li’s. In an interview by The New York Times, she said, “An actor should not memorize every line but should allow new things to happen. I need a collaboration with the director and other actors, something at the location that allows something else to emerge.” And true enough, working with different directors has earned her numerous prestigious awards including Best Actress at the 49th Venice International Film Festival.

THE AVENUE

The star-studded walk along Victoria Bay has not just acted as a tribute but has also boosted tourism in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Film Awards Diva.

At the entrance, guests are welcomed by a 4.5-meter giant replica of the Hong Kong Film Awards diva. There is also a bronze statue of McDull, Hong Kong’s most sought-after animated pig. There are also sculptures portraying key people in a film set like a director, a sound man, and a cinematographer. The newest attraction is a monument of Cantopop singer and actress, Anita Mui, who also owns a star along the bay.

The Symphony of Lights.

The area also offers a magnificent view of the Victoria Harbour during the day. After sunset, establishments along the bay turn their lights on and dance to the tune of upbeat rhythms at the 13-minute show called the Symphony of Lights.

Asia has its own talents. Photo by Mai Calapardo.

Hollywood may have been the biggest film outfit but it cannot deny the fact that it doesn’t own all the talent in the world. At the other side of the globe, there exist fine artists pushing for the richest culture and ideologies that Asian cinema can offer.