BFI & ICA: The World of Wong Kar Wai
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
One of the defining figures of Hong Kong cool, filmmaker Wong Kar Wai gets the retrospective treatment courtesy of the BFI and the ICA this February. Often working with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, the director is known for his sumptuous visuals, pop soundtracks and swooning romanticism, Wong’s films run the gamut from period love stories and sweeping wuxia, to broody crime dramas and futuristic science fiction.
The retrospective features seven brand new 4K restorations, five of which have been overseen by the director himself. Titles include the offbeat pop-comic love story Chungking Express (1994), Wong’s impressive debut, triad crime drama As Tears Go By (1988) and the exquisite 1960s-set masterpiece In the Mood For Love (2000), starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung.
If you’re not yet familiar with these movies then now is the perfect time to indulge in Wong’s wistfully wrought neon cityscapes and heightened sensations. Longtime fans, meanwhile, will want to check in to see what the director has done with these remastered and reworked versions of his enduring back catalogue screening on BFI Player and through the ICA’s newly launched online platform ‘Cinema 3’ during February 2021.
