Twin Sisters of the South

Dir/Scr: Lai Ban, Leong Sum
Cast: Wu Tip-ying, Ng Cho-fan, Wu Tip-lai
1939 | B&W | 35mm | Cantonese | Chi & Eng Subtitles | 92min

The earliest Cantonese film in the collection of the Hong Kong Film Archive is also the last film of actress Wu Tip-ying as well as the first release of her own production company. The star formed the company to make Twin Sisters of the South as a farewell gesture before retiring to get married. She not only played the double role of the title but also produced the film as well as wrote the scenario for a stage production within the film, giving herself an opportunity to perform a Cantonese opera number. Production of this 1930s film may be necessarily crude, the story’s dramatic upheavals nonetheless offer a telling portrait of the difficult times.

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