Lai Man-Wai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lai Man-Wai
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Lai in 1913 in Zhuangzi Tests His Wife
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| Born | 1893 |
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| Died | October 26, 1953 (aged 60) |
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| Occupation | Film director | ||||||
| Known for | Father of Hong Kong Cinema | ||||||
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| Children | Lai Hang (1928-1965) Lai Suen (b.1931) |
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| Relatives | Lai Cheuk-Cheuk (niece) Gigi Lai (grand-daughter) |
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| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 黎民偉 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 黎民伟 | ||||||
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Lai Man-Wai (Chinese: 黎民偉; pinyin: Li Minwei; 1893–1953) is known as the "Father of Hong Kong Cinema." He was a pioneering film director. He directed the very first Hong Kong movie, Zhuangzi Tests His Wife, in 1913. Interestingly, Lai Man-Wai also acted in this film. He played the role of the wife. This was because it was uncommon for women to act in movies at that time.
Early Life and Film Beginnings
Lai Man-Wai was born in Japan in 1893. His family came from Xinhui, Guangdong, China. He grew up in Hong Kong. In 1911, he joined a political group called the Kuomintang. This group was led by Sun Yat-sen. Lai Man-Wai used his filmmaking skills to help. He made movies that spoke out against powerful warlords. Warlords were military leaders who controlled different parts of China.
Building a Film Career
Lai Man-Wai was a very active director. He worked during a busy time for the Shanghai movie industry. This was from 1921 to 1928. In 1923, he started a film company. It was called the China Sun Motion Picture Company. He founded it with his brother, Lai Pak-Hoi, in Hong Kong. Later, the company moved to Shanghai.
In 1930, Lai Man-Wai helped create another big film studio. It was called Lianhua Film Company. This studio became one of the "Big Three" studios of the 1930s. Sadly, many film studios in Shanghai were destroyed. This happened when Japan attacked Shanghai in 1937. After this, Lai Man-Wai returned to Hong Kong in 1938. He then retired from filmmaking.
Family and Legacy
Lai Man-Wai was married to Lim Cho Cho. She was an actress born in Vancouver. His family continued his legacy in acting. His daughter became an actress. His granddaughter, Gigi Lai, is also a well-known actress.
Lai Man-Wai's life story was told in a book. It was called Lai Man-wai: Father of Hong Kong Cinema. Choi Kai-kwong wrote this book in 2001. Lai Man-Wai was also shown in a movie. This was in the 1991 film Center Stage. Hong Kong actor Waise Lee played his role.
Notable Films
Here are some of the important films Lai Man-Wai was involved with:
- Zhuangzi Tests His Wife (1913) - This was the first Hong Kong film.
- Romance of the Western Chamber (1927) - He directed this film with Hou Yao.
- A Page of History (1941) - This was a documentary. It showed Lai Man-Wai following Sun Yat-sen in the 1920s.
