Chan (Chan Hung Nin) and Christine (Christine Lee) marry young, but their relationship is unstable, marked by constant breakups and reconciliations. Their personality clashes and disagreements over immigration add to the tension.  With jump-cut editing and a non-linear narrative structure, Just Like Weather achieves an overall sense of ambiguity and hazy allure. The unstable weather and relationships allude to Hong Kong’s uncertain future approaching 1997, with the couple’s indecision reflecting the broader social mindset of that era. The film’s bold fusion of filmmaking and reality, drama, and life marks a creative pinnacle in Fong’s career and solidifies its status as a landmark piece in Hong Kong New Wave cinema.

Allen Fong’s debut film Father and Son (1981) draws from his childhood memories and formative experiences. In Ah Ying (1983), the lead actress re-enacts her life story within a fictional narrative. Fong pushes this approach even further in Just Like Weather: not only does the lead couple re-enact their real-life experiences alongside scripted scenes, but they also embark on a trip to the United States with their reactions captured along the way. By appearing on camera to interview the couple, Fong demonstrates an unparalleled level of experimentation for his time.

The restoration was made using the original 16mm picture negative, the 35mm reversal intermediate, and the 35mm optical sound negative preserved at the Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The restoration was undertaken at L’Immagine Ritrovata.

Just Like Weather is one of the films under M+ Restored, an initiative supported by CHANEL.

The screening on 8 November will be followed by a talk with the producer of Just Like Weather, Cheung Chi-sing. This talk will be held in Cantonese.

The screening on 6 December will be followed by a talk with the director of photography of Just Like Weather, George Chang. This talk will be held in Cantonese.

Allen Fong (b. 1947, Hong Kong) grew up in Hong Kong before furthering his studies in the United States. After obtaining a master’s degree in film production at the University of Southern California, he returned to Hong Kong in the mid-1970s and worked at RTHK, where he directed episodes of the station’s famous anthology series, Below the Lion Rock. In 1981, he made his directorial debut with Father and Son (1981), which was awarded Best Film and Best Director at the first-ever Hong Kong Film Awards. His subsequent films, Ah Ying (1983) and Just Like Weather (1986), are hailed as masterpieces of the Hong Kong New Wave and garnered attention at European festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and Torino Film Festival. In 2000, Fong relocated to Canada after directing the documentary Tibetan Tao, which chronicles a businessman’s trip to Tibet.