Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

BFI & ICA: The World of Wong Kar Wai

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Book now

BFI & ICA: The World of Wong Kar Wai

1-23 February 2021

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

From £8
Book now

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.

Where to go near BFI & ICA: The World of Wong Kar Wai

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

See all places

What's on: Cinema

A girl lies down in a field of daisies.
Until
CinemaManchester
The Worlds of Mamoru Hosoda at HOME

This summer, HOME presents a short season of films from celebrated Japanese animator Mamoru Hosoda, screening on the big screen in stunning 4K for the first time.

From £4.70

Culture Guides

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

See all guides