I·CARE Theatre: The Pristine Craze The Secret (Restored Version)

The Secret (Restored Version)
1979 | 90 mins | Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles

Director：Ann Hui
Ann Hui’s debut, The Secret is known as the monument to the “New Wave” in the late 1970s. The story was inspired by a real-life murder case which happened at Lung Fu Shan, Hong Kong. Prima facie was a case of murder for love, but the truth turned out to be far more confusing and terrifying. The film depicts the psychological intricacy of the parties involved in the love triangle; and its plot, narrative style and cinematography have all contributed to a major breakthrough in the Hong Kong film industry since then. The Secret was shot around the old Chinese tenement buildings located at the vicinity of Yu Lok Lane, Sai Ying Pun back in 40 years ago. The film has captured the beautiful scenery of the old Hong Kong. This newly restored version delivers a better quality of picture and sound, which is very close to the original release version.

In the 1st night, there comes the current “Fresh Wave” winning pieces…… In the 2nd night, the prominent director’s classic “New Wave” film revives.

The I·CARE Theatre, co-organised by the I·CARE Centre for Whole-person Development and The Office of the Arts Administrator, will be themed “The Pristine Craze” in October of 2018. It is going to screen The Secret (Restored Version) under the “New Wave” category, as well as Bright Spring Days, The Bridge, and The Umbrella under the “Fresh Wave” category. The three “Fresh Wave” films are the winning pieces of the “12th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival”. Through the screening, audiences are able to have a taste of the perspectives and thoughts of the youth of different decades through their avant-garde productions.

The “New Wave” marks an important chapter of the Hong Kong cinema history and is a pivotal movement brought about to the local film industry by young filmmakers during the late 1970s and early 1980s. During that period, many of the young talents of the industry returned to Hong Kong after having finished their education abroad. With their innovative techniques in filmmaking, these directors set their productions apart from those of the mainstream and paved the way for a major breakthrough in Hong Kong cinema. The “New Wave” has opened up a medium for exploration of issues involving current affairs, humanities and ethics, and it has re-oriented the locally-made films in the ensuing decades. Many of the then fledgling directors and producers emerged from the period, including Tsui Hark, Ann Hui and Patrick Tam, have now become monumental figures of the local film industry.

The “Fresh Wave” is a newly emerged platform which aims to promote production of local filmmaking and to identify and nurture young talents in the film industry. The “Fresh Wave Short Film Festival” has been launched annually since 2005, and it was subsequently evolved into an international short film festival in 2010 to further extend the opportunity for local young filmmakers to showcase their talents at a global scale. The three films to be screened by the I·CARE Theatre have been awarded different honours in this festival, and their directors are all alumni of CUHK School of Journalism and Communication.

Acknowledgment
Fresh Wave Film Festival Limited
Hong Kong Film Services
Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department