Hong Kong Director Johnnie To Talks in BBC Cantonese Interview
*NO ENGLISH SUBS*
In a powerful and revealing interview with BBC News Cantonese, Johnnie To (杜琪峯), one of Hong Kong's most celebrated filmmakers and a director who has earned international acclaim including recognition at Cannes, Venice, and Berlin film festivals, has offered an unprecedented glimpse into Hong Kong's changing cultural landscape and the realities of filmmaking under increasing constraints.
The veteran filmmaker, whose illustrious career spans over four decades and includes critical successes like "Election," "Breaking News," and "Drug War," finds himself at what he describes as "the lowest point in my life" ("最近都是我人生最低潮的時候"). Having built a reputation for exploring themes of friendship, fate, and Hong Kong's evolving society, Johnnie To now faces profound creative challenges.
He spoke candidly about the loss of artistic freedom: "I feel there's no soul now, including both myself and Hong Kong" ("我覺得現在沒有靈魂，包括我和香港都沒有了"). This crisis, he emphasized, stems from the erosion of "human rights and freedom" ("人權和自由").
When asked about topics filmmakers must avoid, Johnnie To responded with characteristic sharp insight: "You know what? It's strange that you're asking me this," ("你知道的，你問我很奇怪") he remarked, before laying bare the reality of self-censorship: "Why needlessly create confrontation? If you don't want to touch that red line, if you don't want to raise suspicions... then don't say too much about Hong Kong affairs" ("無謂直接去衝撞，你不想碰到那條紅線，或者你不想有些被懷疑的話，你就不要說那麼多，關於香港的事").
His advice was particularly telling: "Don't talk too much regarding Hong Kong's current political situation - just make more romance films, family dramas instead" ("你就不要說太多，關於香港現在政治上的事，你就多說些愛情，說些親情").
Johnnie To offered pointed criticism of current governance approaches: "A government with confidence wouldn't do this. They have no confidence in the people, no confidence in society" ("有信心的政府會這樣嗎？對人沒有信心，對人民沒有信心，對社會沒有信心"). He dismissed official displays of prosperity as superficial, stating "Setting off fireworks pretending Hong Kong is prosperous - who are you trying to fool? Even grandma won't be fooled" ("放下煙花當香港很繁榮，你騙誰啊，婆婆都騙不了").
Johnnie To reflected on Hong Kong's transition: "In the 80s we talked about it, in the 90s we knew return to China was inevitable. What determined our future way of life? The Basic Law. I believed in the Basic Law," after a pause, he added with notable emphasis, "I still believe in the original one" ("我覺得，我相信基本法，現在還相信，原來那個").
Despite opportunities to work overseas, the renowned director maintains an unwavering commitment to Hong Kong cinema: "I stick to filming in Hong Kong - how can I go elsewhere when I can't even fully grasp my own culture?" ("我連香港自己成長的地方的文化，我都捉得不夠準，我怎會去別的地方學別人的東西"). This dedication comes at a personal cost, as he reveals: "I keep writing and throwing away scripts - I don't even know how many I've discarded" ("變成想完一次又扔掉，想完一次又扔掉，都不知道扔了多少東西").
The founder of independent production house Milkyway Image (銀河映像) in 1996 described his current creative paralysis: "I used to be very confident about my film concepts, but in recent years I've had many doubts" ("我以前對構思上，對電影的信心很強，這幾年會覺得有很多懷疑"). He distinguished his current struggles from past challenges, noting "My crisis isn't about money - I haven't lost my ideals due to poverty before, but now I've lost them" ("以前沒有錢，不是代表沒有了我的理想，現在是沒有了").
Johnnie To, who has served on juries at all three major international film festivals - Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, used a striking metaphor to describe the industry's current state: "How can you fight against an elephant's foot when you're just an ant? If it steps on you, you're dead" ("你怎樣能夠頂得住一隻大象的腳，你只有一隻矮的時候，踩中必死").
The interview comes at a critical juncture for Hong Kong cinema, as the industry grapples with new film censorship regulations and changing political dynamics. As a filmmaker known for his ability to work across genres and his distinctive style mixing realism with highly stylized elements, Johnnie To's current creative paralysis speaks to broader issues facing Hong Kong's cultural sector. "In terms of industry and art, this is not a good era" ("在工業上也好，藝術上也好，各方面都不是一個好的時代"), he observed.
While the struggles he describes are well-known within Hong Kong's film industry, Johnnie To's willingness to speak openly about these challenges makes him one of the most prominent figures to publicly address the creative constraints facing Hong Kong filmmakers today. His candid revelations carry particular weight given his stature in both local and international cinema.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvqZc7S9D24
The hour-long interview, conducted in Cantonese and currently only available with Chinese subtitles on BBC News Chinese YouTube channel, has quickly gone viral, amassing over 190,000 views and reaching #17 on YouTube's trending list within just 13 hours of its release.