See the programme of the Carte Blanche to Maggie Cheung of the 24th Festival des 3 Continents, November 2002

MAGGIE CHEUNG - Hong Kong
- 24th Festival des 3 Continents, November 2002 -

Maggie Cheung's career is quite unusual. She was first a model and even the 1983 Miss Hong Kong, but she was quickly hailed as a star of Hong Kong cinema with the huge success of Police Story (1985) in which she played alongside Jackie Chan. Then the British colony's film industry was not kind with its famous actors, especially with its actresses whose career was deemed short. Over the following years, Maggie Cheung played in all sorts of films: sentimental comedies, action films, melodramas. From 1987 to 1993, she was in at least 5 films a year. In 1988, she even appeared in 12 films. 1988 was indeed a turning point: this was the year when she met Wong Kar-wai who made his first feature (As Tears Go By). Her role in this film and the fact that she was chosen by Wong Kar-wai made it possible for her to be given parts in films by a number of auteur film-makers such as Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan, Yim Yo, Tsui Hark. With Wong Kar-wai, she also made Days of Being Wild (1990), Ashes of Time (1994) and In the Mood for Love (2000). Among her numerous parts she appeared in other great films such as Ann Hui's Song of Exile (1990), Stanley Kwan's Center Stage (1992) in which she plays Ruan Lingyu, a legendary Shanghai actress from the silent period, and which earned her a best actress award at the Berlin Festival, and Tsui Hark's Green Snake (1993) in which she was a snake which could turn human.
Maggie Cheung thought of putting an end to her career in 1994. However, she agreed to be Irma Vep in Olivier Assayas's film. Since then, she has continued making films although at a less hectic pace, in Paris (Anne Fontaine's Augustin, roi du kung-fu) and Hong Kong (Wayne Wang's The Chinese Box).
She is currently making her fifth film with Wong Kar-wai, a film called 2046.

I suppose what motivated me in paying this tribute to Maggie Cheung was to know her better and make her better known by our audience. It is the first time in the history of the Festival of the 3 Continents that we pay tribute to such a young actress. A very warm and very sensitive person, Maggie is also an elusive, lonely woman who refrains from being too close to reality and only feels good in front of a camera. This could be the reason why she has played in so many films (almost 100 films over sixteen years since she was 18).
With such a big number of films to her credit, making a selection was a hard task. We decided to choose nine. Our choice of films is a faithful illustration of Maggie's talent. The Nantes festival audience will surely appreciate her subtle acting and, above all, her grace.

Alain Jalladeau

 

Filmography

1984 : Prince Charming by Wong Jing,
Behind The Yellow Line by Taylor Wong Tai-loy

1985 : The Girl With The Diamond Slipper by Wong Jing,
Police Story by Jackie Chan,
It's A Drink It Is A Bomb by David Chung Chi-man

1986 : Rose by Yong Fan,
Happy Ghost 3 by Johnnie To Kei-fung,
The Seventh Curse by Lam Lai-choi

1987 : Sister Cupid by Lai Ying-Chau,
Heartbeat 100 by Kent Cheng Chuk-tse and Lo Kin,
The Romancing Star by Wong Jing,
Project A 2 by Jackie Chan

1988 : Girls Without Tomorrow by David Lam Tak-Luk,
Love Soldier Of Fortune by Fung Shui-fan,
Paper Marriage by Alfred Cheung Kin-tin,
Double Fattiness by John Keung Tai-wai,
As Tears Go By by Wong Kar-wai,
Mother Vs Mother by Leung Siu-hung,
Moon, Stars And Sun by Michael Mak Don-kit,
How To Pick by Wong Jing,
Police Story 2 by Jackie Chan,
The Game They Call Sex by Sylvia Chang,
The Nowhere Man by Kent Cheng Chuk-tse,
Last Romance by Yong Fan

1989 : The Bachelor's Swan Song by Derek Yee Tung-shing,
Double Causes Troubles by Wong Jing,
My Dear Son by John Keung Tai Wai,
The Iceman Cometh by Clarence Fok Yiu-leung,
A Fishy Story by Anthony Chan,
Hearts No Flowers by Cheung Wing-hung,
In Between Loves by Alan Fung Yee-Ching,
Little Cop by Eric Tsang Chi-Wai

1990 : Full Moon In New-York by Stanley Kwan,
Heart into Hearts by Stephen Shin Kei-yin,
Song of the Exile by Ann Hui,
The Dragon From Russia by Fok Yiu-leung,
Red Dust by Yim Ho,
Farewell China by Clara Law Cheuk-yiu,
Days of Being Wild by Wong Kar-wai

1991 : The Perfect Match by Stephen Shin Kei-yin,
Alan and Eric : Between Hello and Goodby by Peter Chan Ho-Sun,
Will Of Iron by John Keung Tai-wai,
Today's Hero by Yip Shing-hong,
The anquet by Tsui Hark, Clifton Ko Chi-Sum, Cheung Tung-Cho, Alfred Cheung

1992 : All's Well That Ends Well by Clifton Ko Chi-Sum,
Twin Dragons by Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam Ling- tung,
Center Stage by Stanley Kwan,
What A Hero ! by Benny Chan Muk-sing,
Police Story 3 : Super Cop by Stanley Tong Kwai-lai,
Dragon Inn by Raymond Lee Wai-man,
Rose by Samson Chiu Leung-chun,
True Love by Tam Long-chong,
Too Happy For Words by Stanley Kwan,
Moon Warriors by Sammo Hung Kam-bo

1993 : Millionaire Cop by Cheung Kin-man,
Heroic Trio by Johnnie To,
The Eagle Shooting Heroes by Jeff Lau Chun-wai,
The First Shot by David Lam Tak-luk,
Flying Dagger by Chu Yen-ping,
Holy Weapon by Wong Jing,
The Enigma Of Love by Sherman Wong Jin-wah,
The Mad Monk by Johnnie To and Ching Siu-tung,
Boys Are Easy by Wong Jing,
The Bare-Footed Kid by Johnnie To,
Green Snake by Tsui Hark,
Executionners by Johnnie To and Ching Siu-tung

1994 : The New Age of Living Together by Sylvia Chang Ai-chia,
Ashes of Time by Wong Kar-wai,

1996 : Irma Vep by Olivier Assayas,
Comrades : Almost a Love Story by Peter Chan Ho-sun

1997 : The Song Sisters by Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting,
Chinese Box by Wayne Wang

1999 : Augustin, roi du kung-fu by 'Anne Fontaine

2000 : In The Mood For Love by Wong Kar-wai,
Sausalito by Andrew Lau Wai-keung

2001 : Chin hei nan bo

2002 : Hero de Zhang Yimou