The Secret (Restored Version)

It is abundantly clear watching The Secret , Ann Hui's debut feature, that the director had mastered the film medium from day one. Hui, who went on to become a monumental figure of Hong Kong cinema, skillfully utilises the dynamics of the Hollywood suspense genre to tell a decidedly local tale. The story takes off from a horrific crime inspired by a real-life incident, turning sensational headlines into a mapping of social and psychological currents. The script by Joyce Chan, who had penned some of the most noteworthy projects by New Wavers dating back to their television years, is informed perceptively by a woman's sensibility at once intelligent and compassionate. It also site-specifically sets the story in Hong Kong Island's Western District, effectively using neighbourhood landscapes for dramatic ends.

Screening courtesy of Hong Kong Film Services