3 Hong Kong Films That Made It to the Oscars

Yesterday, nominations for this year’s Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) were announced, and included in the Best International Feature Film category is Hong Kong’s submission Better Days《少年的你》.

Before 2020, this was known as the Best Foreign Film category, which includes internationally produced, mainly non-English language films. While no Hong Kong film has won the award before, 4 have been shortlisted, and 3 out of those have been nominated.

What may surprise you is that while all of these films are Hong Kong’s official submissions, none of them were actually filmed in Hong Kong, nor do they feature the Cantonese language. Instead, they are co-produced by Hong Kong film production companies.

In light of yesterday’s nomination, let’s take a look at these 3 nominated films!

1. Raise the Red Lantern《大紅燈籠高高掛》(1991)

Adapted from a novel called Wives and Concubines, this film was directed by one of the most renowned Chinese film directors, Zhang Yimou. The film is set in the 1920s in the Republic of China, and follows an educated woman (played by Gong Li) who is forced by her stepmother to marry into a wealthy family, becoming a fourth wife. It follows her struggles to live within this tension-filled household.

2. Farewell My Concubine《霸王別姬》(1993)

Not only did this film directed by Chen Kaige receive the Oscar nomination, but it also won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards in film. Also starring Gong Li alongside Leslie Cheung, the film pays homage to Peking opera and is set during politically tumultuous times. Just like Raise the Red Lantern, this film was adapted from a novel, and was temporarily banned in China due to its subject matter—homosexuality, in this case.

3. Better Days《少年的你》(2019)

Also adapted from a novel, Hong Kong’s most recent nomination at the Oscars is directed by Derek Tsang, son of popular Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang. This film was highly successful at the box office in China due to the popularity of its two lead actors Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee. Unlike the last two films, it is set during contemporary times, featuring a more current subject matter: school bullying. It is also categorized as a romantic crime drama, and involves a murder case in its story.

Bonus: The Grandmaster《一代宗師》(2013)

Directed by Wong Kar-wai, who is perhaps the most internationally renowned Hong Kong film director, this film was shortlisted for the Oscar for then-named Best Foreign Language Film, but ultimately was not nominated. Despite this, it was nominated for its Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design categories, which compete alongside mainly American productions. The title of the film refers to Ip Man (played by Tony Leung), who is now widely known as Bruce Lee’s martial arts trainer thanks to a trilogy of films about him, unrelated to The Grandmaster.