The Hong Kong film industry has a long history of border-crossing endeavours, striving to expand its market by reaching audiences beyond the city's boundaries. Since the 1940s and 50s, Hong Kong companies have been collaborating with nearby industries, like that of Japan, Korea and Southeast Asian nations. Thailand, with which Hong Kong has had many contacts on cultural and commercial fronts , was a frequent collaborator.

China United Film Company and Hsin Hwa Motion Picture Company were among the most active of Hong Kong companies working with Thailand. Each produced a number of co-productions, including the first Hong Kong-Thailand collaboration released in Hong Kong, The Autumn Phoenix (1957), followed by The Lovers and the Python (1961), House Boat (1962) and others. With those co-productions, both parties would provide actors, with the Hong Kong companies responsible for the creative and production tasks. Much location shooting would take place in Thailand, in an attempt to provide Hong Kong audiences with fresh and interesting vistas.

To commemorate this meaningful cooperation, the Hong Kong Film Archive and the Film Programmes Office, co-organising with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong respectively, will screen several Thai films and Hong Kong-Thai co-productions at the Archive's Cinema in November. The Archive also contributes to the event with a selection of two films from our collection. One is Flame in Ashes (aka Underground Sparks) (1958), a co-production directed by famed director Wong Tin-lam and starring the entrancing Diana Chang. The film won Best Actor, Best Script and Best Film Set at a Thai awards ceremony. The other is The Killer (1989), the international megahit by director John Woo. In addition to being widely considered a classic of Hong Kong cinema, the film is relished for its poignant depiction of brotherly relationship between the leading characters, a portrayal that served as inspiration for some Thai directors.

It is the hope of the Hong Kong Film Archive that, through this programme, cross-cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Thailand will be enhanced, extending the spirit of cooperation between the two territories.

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.