Painted Faces

Alex Law’s Golden Horse-winning Painted Faces is a biographical portrait of Yu Jim-yuen, the legendary martial artist and Peking opera master whose apprentices included some of Hong Kong cinema’s most celebrated names, including Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Wo-ping, Corey Yuen, etc. Based on real events, the film centres on Yu’s relationships with his students, offering a nostalgic glimpse into the rigorous apprenticeship system of a bygone era while reflecting on how this demanding tradition of martial arts training was gradually fading away.

Sammo Hung plays his real-life master Yu Jim-yuen, while Cheng Pei-pei appears in a supporting role as a veteran Cantonese opera actress who develops a restrained romance with the Peking opera master. Her elegance and refinement make her a natural on-screen partner for Hung’s dignified portrayal of Yu. Yet their pairing takes on an especially poignant dimension when we remember that, two decades earlier, Cheng was already a celebrated leading actress in films such as Dragon Swamp (1969), while Hung had only a small role in the film, in which Cheng’s character dispatches him within seconds. Neither could have imagined that twenty years later, they would be playing old friends with romantic feelings for each other. Their reunion is a charming reminder of how dramatically time can transform the world of cinema.

Date	Time	Venue
4/12/2026 (Fri)	11:00am	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter. The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.

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