Bruce Lee is internationally renowned for his contributions to martial arts and action cinema. But long before he gained global fame with his kung fu films, even before he left for studies in the United States at age 18, Lee was already a prolific and respected child actor, having appeared in over 20 Cantonese films. Son of noted film and Cantonese opera actor Lee Hoi-chuen, young Bruce grew up on movie sets and on the opera backstage, giving him a head start on the art of performing. He had played many different roles, from orphan to street kid to rebellious teenager, each time delivering moving performances that earned him critical acclaim as a ‘genius child actor’.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s passing, the Hong Kong Film Archive presents a retrospective of Bruce Lee’s early works, starting in August and lasting through November of this year. In 2010, the Archive presented ‘The Kid is All Right’, another retrospective of Lee’s child-star films to commemorate the 70th anniversary of his birth. Lee is all right in the many roles he played as a child. He is also extraordinary in those roles! For ‘The Kid is Extraordinary’, one film from the early phase of Lee’s career will be screened each month, providing wonderful opportunities for everyone to relish the extraordinary beginning of a legend.

In July, the Archive is collaborating with the Hong Kong Heritage Museum to present the film The Kid (1950) at the HKHM. Stay tuned for programme details on the HKFA websites.

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.