One of the most important conglomerates of movie companies in Hong Kong history, Great Wall Movie Enterprises Ltd, Feng Huang Motion Picture Co, and Sun Luen Film Company had together produced an impressive number of films that are culturally significant and entertaining in equal measure. Established between 1950 and 1952, the companies merged in 1982 to form Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd to consolidate operations and adjust to the changing times. The new entity devoted itself to nurturing new directorial talents while also actively collaborating with other companies, fostering a new round of success. Today, it is one of the few local film organisations involved in both production and distribution, with its own production studios and cinemas. Since 1950, Sil-Metropole and the earlier companies have produced over five hundred works, fabricating a rich tapestry of the many ways Chinese traditional culture relates to the rapidly-changing modern society.

Key members in the early days of Great Wall, Feng Huang, and Sun Luen were mostly Shanghai filmmakers who had resettled in Hong Kong in the 1930s and 40s, as well as film and cultural workers from the Guangdong region. The three companies shared a common emphasis on wholesome themes and moral enlightenment, a continuation of the leftist, progressive literary and cultural spirit of the 1930s, which in turn embodied the traditional Chinese notion of wenyi zaidao—‘the text carries the truth’—a belief that creative work is a vehicle for moral improvement. The teachings in the companies’ work, reflecting their time, were no longer limited to the Confucian creed, but with broader reference to how one conducts oneself in the modern world. Integrating the traditional ‘scholars, farmers, workers, merchants’ classification of occupations with 20th Century progressive views and the harsh reality of wealth inequality in modern society, the companies’ films frequently portray the exploitation of the working poor by wealthy merchants.

The three companies also subscribed to the principle of ‘facing the world while leaning on the motherland’. They looked beyond local audiences, setting an extended sight on the overseas Chinese population. Most of their films are therefore stories of social-realist approaches, exploring familial, communal relationships and ethical, societal situations that would resonate with audiences of the Chinese diaspora. 

The family melodrama in particular is a staple of the three companies in the 1950s and 60s. The genre lends itself to exploring the balance between cultures of old and new, reinforcing Confucian family values (e.g. filial piety, centrality of the family unit, the longing for family togetherness) while also offering updated interpretations of the anti-feudal fervour passed down from the May Fourth Movement, expressing a desire to find balance between the traditional and the modern. The celebration of family values is projected further to include fraternal and communal harmony, a manifestation of the Confucian ideal liren weimei, roughly meaning ‘neighbouring benevolence is beautiful’, a call for kindness between people. Also, with dedication to social realism, the companies consistently made films that portray the everyday lives and social conditions of ordinary folks, capturing the way Chinese culture evolved with the times.

Productions of Sil-Metropole and the earlier companies also integrated traditional artforms and customs with the medium of film. During the mid-1950s, when the Mainland introduced reforms to theatrical and opera arts, the three companies happened to be seeking creative diversification by venturing into trying other genres. They launched a series of films featuring Cantonese opera and Yue opera of the Shanghai-Shaoxing area. Featuring accomplished and renowned artists, these films are now considered valuable records of a traditional artform which has entered the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. In 1964, Feng Huang broke new ground with The Golden Eagle, shot on location in Inner Mongolia, featuring the region’s grassland nomadic culture. The picture became the first ever Hong Kong film to generate a box office of over one million dollars. Another example of Sil-Metropole’s engagement with Chinese culture is the wuxia genre. Developed from the xiayi literature on chivalrous heroes, wuxia has in modern times become highly prominent in both literature and film. Sil-Metropole collaborated with young directors in the 1980s on a number of martial arts films and also pioneered co-productions with the Mainland following her economic reforms, a practice that later became an important aspect in Hong Kong cinema.

Sil-Metropole will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025. The 1st Chinese Culture Festival would like to take this opportunity to bring to the big screen once again 16 classic films from Great Wall, Feng Huang, Sun Luen, and Sil-Metropole. There will be a post-screening talk after each film (except the screening of the 4K Digitally Restored Version of Father and Son), in the hope of aiding audience enjoyment and understanding of how different generations of filmmakers have explored and portrayed the many splendours of Chinese culture.

The Hong Kong Film Archive hereby expresses its heartfelt thanks for the gracious support from Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, authorising the screenings of their works for free and making a generous donation of film materials and copies recently. The Archive plans to digitise some of these titles so as to improve audience enjoyment and experience.

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The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF), presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the LCSD's Chinese Culture Promotion Office, aims to enhance the public's appreciation of Chinese culture and cultivate citizens' national identity and cultural confidence. The inaugural CCF will be held from June to September. Through different performing arts programmes in various forms and related extension activities, including selected programmes of the Chinese Opera Festival, exemplary local arts projects recognised by the China National Arts Fund, performing arts programmes from arts and cultural organisations, film screenings, exhibitions, talks and more, the festival allows members of the public and visitors to experience the broad and profound Chinese culture with a view to promoting Chinese culture and patriotic education as well as enhancing national identity amongst the people of Hong Kong, making contributions to the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems". Please visit the CCF website (www.ccf.gov.hk) for details.

The LCSD has long promoted Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.