Ann Hui facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ann Hui BBS MBE
Hui in 2024
Born	Hui On-wah (1947-05-23) 23 May 1947 (age 78) Anshan, Liaoning, Republic of China
Alma mater	London Film School
Occupation	Film director, producer, screenwriter, actress
Years active	1979-present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	許鞍華
Simplified Chinese	许鞍华
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xǔ Ānhuá Yue: Cantonese Jyutping heoi2 on1 waa4
Japanese name
Kanji	許 鞍華
Transcriptions Romanization Kyo Anka

Ann Hui On-wah (born May 23, 1947) is a famous film director, producer, screenwriter, and actress from Hong Kong. She is known as one of the most important filmmakers of the Hong Kong New Wave, a movement where young directors brought new ideas to Hong Kong cinema.

Ann Hui makes movies about real-life problems in Hong Kong. Her films often tell stories about women, families, and how people deal with big changes. She has won many awards for her work, including Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards six times and at the Golden Horse Awards three times.

Two of her films, Summer Snow and A Simple Life, are the only ones to win all the main awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards (Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor, and Actress). In 2012, she received a special award for her amazing career at the Asian Film Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the group behind the Oscars) invited her to become a member in 2017.

Ann Hui's Early Life

Ann Hui was born on May 23, 1947, in Anshan, a city in China. Her mother was Japanese, and her father was Chinese. When she was five years old, her family moved to Macau and then to Hong Kong.

She went to St. Paul's Convent School. Ann grew up in a traditional Chinese family. Her grandfather and father loved old Chinese poems, so she learned many of them. In college, she helped with student plays, doing things like designing posters. When she felt sad or had problems, she would go to the cinema to watch a movie.

Education and Learning

In 1972, Ann Hui earned a master's degree in English and literature from the University of Hong Kong. After that, she studied at the London Film School for two years. She wrote her final paper about the works of a French writer and filmmaker named Alain Robbe-Grillet.

Ann Hui's Career in Film

After studying in London, Ann Hui returned to Hong Kong. She first worked as an assistant to a famous Chinese film director, King Hu. Then, she started working for Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as a scriptwriter and director. She made documentaries and dramas for TV.

In 1977, she directed six dramas for the Independent Commission Against Corruption, an organization that fights against bad behavior in government. Two of these films were so strong that they were not allowed to be shown. A year later, she directed episodes for Below the Lion Rock, a documentary series about people in Hong Kong. Her episode Boy from Vietnam (1978) was the first part of her "Vietnam Trilogy" of films.

In 1979, Ann Hui directed her first full-length movie, The Secret. It was a mystery film that showed gloomy parts of Hong Kong. This film helped her win a Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film.

Films in the 1980s

In the 1980s, Ann Hui's career grew internationally. While many popular films at that time were action movies, she chose to make more personal films. Many of her best movies were about people who had to move to a new country and struggled to fit in. She showed how characters reacted to new places and how they felt when they returned home.

During this time, her films were often sharp and tough. They showed her concern for people, especially women, and for refugees. Her most famous films from this period are The Story of Woo Viet (1981) and Boat People (1982). These two films completed her Vietnam Trilogy. Boat People won Best Film and Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Ann Hui also often explored family problems in her films, like in My American Grandson (1990).

Focusing on Women's Stories

Ann Hui's care for everyday people, especially women, became a main theme in her movies. She creates stories about women's experiences. One of her most personal films is Song of the Exile (1990). This movie is partly based on her own life and explores family connections and identity. It tells the story of a young woman returning to Hong Kong after studying in London. She has a difficult relationship with her Japanese mother. As they travel to her mother's hometown in Japan, they learn more about each other. This film won Best Director at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse Award.

In the 1990s, Ann Hui also worked on more commercial films. She directed fewer movies herself, focusing on helping other filmmakers behind the scenes. The idea of people being displaced or feeling out of place still appeared in her work.

Socially Conscious Films

Ann Hui has said she wants to make more films that focus on social issues. She knows it's hard to find projects that attract investors and also interest the public. Her goal is to make films that are enjoyable to watch but also make people think about social problems.

She is known for making films that can be seen as controversial. For example, she made films about the difficulties of life in Tin Shui Wai, a part of Hong Kong with high crime and unemployment. Two of her films that show these issues are The Way We Are (2008) and Night and Fog (2009).

In April 2021, Ann Hui was one of six experienced Hong Kong filmmakers who directed Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020). This film was a collection of short stories, each set in a different time period in Hong Kong, celebrating the city's history.

The Vietnam Trilogy

Ann Hui's "Vietnam Trilogy" includes three films that focus on problems related to Vietnam. They tell stories about people who have been forced to leave their homes and are trying to find a new place to belong during times of big changes.

• Boy from Vietnam (1978): This film is about a teenager who illegally enters Hong Kong and tries to adjust to life there. It shows the difficulties immigrants faced in Hong Kong in the late 1970s, including unfair treatment.
• The Story of Woo Viet (1981): This movie continues to explore the lives of Vietnamese boat people. It follows Woo Viet, who tries to get to the United States but gets stuck in the Philippines. The film shows the dangers of smuggling and life in refugee camps.
• Boat People (1982): Set in 1978, this film shows life in Vietnam after the Communist Party took over. It is seen through the eyes of a Japanese photojournalist. This was the first Hong Kong movie filmed in Communist China. A young Andy Lau starred in this film.

From TV to Movies

Ann Hui left television in 1979 to make her first feature film, The Secret. This mystery thriller was based on a real murder case and was seen as an important film in the Hong Kong New Wave.

She also made The Spooky Bunch (1981), a ghost story, and continued her Vietnam Trilogy with The Story of Woo Viet (1981) and Boat People (1982). Ann Hui often used special effects and interesting camera angles. Her focus on important social issues became a key part of her films.

In the mid-1980s, she continued to make highly praised films. Love in a Fallen City (1984) was based on a famous novel. She also directed a two-part martial arts film, The Romance of Book and Sword (1987) and Princess Fragrance (1987).

In 1990, she released The Song of Exile, a very important film that explored feelings of losing one's identity and feeling confused when cultures clash. Like in the film, Ann Hui's own mother was Japanese.

Later Works

After a short break, Ann Hui returned with Summer Snow (1995). This film is about a middle-aged woman who has to take care of her father-in-law, who has Alzheimer's. In 1996, she was a judge at the 46th Berlin International Film Festival.

Eighteen Springs (1997) was another film based on a novel by Eileen Chang. Her film Ordinary Heroes (1999), about political activists in Hong Kong, won Best Feature at the Golden Horse Awards.

In 2002, her film July Rhapsody was released and received good reviews. In 2003, she directed Jade Goddess of Mercy, based on a popular Chinese novel.

In 2008, Ann Hui directed the highly praised family drama, The Way We Are. She said making this film felt like her early days working in TV. This film was followed by Night and Fog (2009). Both films show the everyday lives of people living in public housing in Tin Shui Wai.

A Simple Life (2011) was shown at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. This film tells the story of a master and his long-time servant. It was based on the real relationship between the film's producer, Roger Lee, and his servant. The film was chosen to represent Hong Kong at the Academy Awards.

Ann Hui's 2014 film The Golden Era was a movie about the lives of famous writers Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun.

Our Time Will Come (2017) is a war film about the resistance movement during Japan's occupation of Hong Kong in the 1940s. The film was released on July 1, 2017, to mark 20 years since Hong Kong was returned from the United Kingdom to China.

In 2022, Ann Hui was invited to be the head of the jury at the 59th Golden Horse Awards. In February 2024, she was also a jury member at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

Ann Hui's Film Style

Ann Hui often tells stories from a female point of view, showing the feelings of women. Most of her films show the daily lives of women in Hong Kong and create strong female characters. In her movies, women are independent and have their own personalities.

Her films are always full of drama, but they don't make the audience feel hopeless. They might have a sad mood, but they are not pessimistic. She uses a simple way to show the world of women. In her movies, women often feel powerless, but they don't always give up. They work hard and try their best. Ann Hui's films are rich with women's emotions and show their struggles and strengths.

As a leading figure of Hong Kong's New Wave, Ann Hui has always tried new things and expanded her film career. She has surprised audiences with her unique style, especially in her women's stories. As a female director, she has created female characters in a way that is special in the Hong Kong film industry.

Her films also discuss ideas about race and gender in Asian cultures. Her semi-autobiographical film Song of the Exile is an example, showing how a woman's identity is shaped by different cultures. This film's themes of cultural differences and family relationships were very meaningful to people in Hong Kong as the city prepared to return to Chinese rule in 1997.

Ann Hui's films show many different kinds of female characters. Some women are quiet and accept their fate, like Sum Ching in The Story of Woo Viet (1982) or Ling in Night and Fog (2009). Ann Hui gives a lot of attention and sympathy to these women. However, she also creates strong female characters who fight for their rights, like Bai Liu-Su in Love in a Fallen City (1984) or Xiao Hong in The Golden Era (2014). These women are not just followers of traditional rules; they are brave and fight for what they believe in.

Ann Hui has said that she prefers making realistic films about modern life. She doesn't usually like making costume films, though she can make them. Sometimes, she makes films just to earn a living.

The 2021 documentary film Keep Rolling gives a look into Ann Hui's life and work. It was directed by Man Lim-chung, who often works with Hui.

Ann Hui's Filmography

As a Filmmaker

As an Actress

Ann Hui has appeared in small roles in several films:

• Love Massacre (1981)
• Winners and Sinners (1983) - Fast food clerk
• Summer Snow (1995) - Neighbour
• Somebody Up (1996) - Teacher
• Who's the Woman, Who's the Man? (1996)
• The River (1997) - Director
• Jiang hu: The Triad Zone (2000)
• Merry-Go-Round (2001)
• Forever and Ever (2001)
• Fighting to Survive (2002)
• My Name Is Fame (2006) - Film director
• Simply Actors (2007)
• Echoes of the Rainbow (2010) - Kindergarten teacher
• Our Time Will Come (2017) - Interviewer

Awards and Honors

Film Awards

Personal Awards

See also

In Spanish: Ann Hui para niños

• List of graduates of University of Hong Kong
• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women
• Hong Kong New Wave