Notícias

Instead of a prologue, I would like to say this: Rarely does a title of a film correspond so eloquently to its actual context. Whatever one would expect from a movie named “Vampire Cleanup Department” is here in abundance. So, in that fashion…

“Vampire Cleanup Department” screened at Art Film Fest Kosice

Tim Cheung is a “typical” Hong Kong teenager, who lives with his half-crazy grandmother since his parents died, and spends most of his time on his smart phone. However, after an accident involving him being beaten by a vampire, he realizes that he is immune to their bite. Furthermore, he learns that his parents were vampire hunters, working for an underground organization called Vampire Cleanup Department, who pose as garbage men but actually are experts in battling vampires. Because, obviously, Hong Kong is soaring with them.

Soon after his experience, his uncle Chau introduces him to the service...

Supernatural movies, featuring ghosts, “Geung si” and other entities are an important part of Hong Kong Cinema and its cultural heritage. “Encounters of the Spooky Kind” (1980), “Mr Vampire” (1985), “Rouge” (1987), “A Chinese Ghost Story” (1990) are only some of my favorite unmissable ones from the 80’s and 90’s.

Genre-bending movies, often blending horror, comedy, romance and kung fu, they are now an endangered species. After Hong Kong’s handover in 1997, many local filmmakers started making co-productions with the Mainland, where the supernatural films are considered a forbidden subject; therefore, they simply don’t get made anymore, except for some rare and brave case. In fact, those kinds of films have turned into a sort of statement by filmmakers that are committed to making Cantonese language films for distribution in Hong Kong and outside, but not the Mainland.

Some of the post-1997 local horror movies include the charming “My Left Eye Sees Ghosts...

Director Yan Pak-wing was born in 1980 and “Hotel Soul Good” is his second directorial work, after “Vampire Cleanup Department”. He was also credited as writer in 6 movies.

Producer Yvonne Chuang is the founder and CEO of Plus One Motion Pictures Ltd and comes from a background in film distribution.

Yim Ka-yee has credits in several fields: writer, assistant director (“Journey to the West”) line producer (“Vampire Cleanup Department”). In “Hotel Soul Good” she had the double role of scriptwriter and producer.

On the occasion of their film “Hotel Soul Good” screening at “Udine Far East Film Festival“, we speak about revamping the Hong Kong genres, ghosts watching over you and working outside the China market.

First of all I want to say that I really enjoyed your movie, I thought it was funny, silly, sweet and thought provoking. Part of the enjoyment was because the experience reminded me of watching...