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Premiering at the 1968 San Francisco Film Festival, The Arch was one of the earliest art-house films and independent productions from Hong Kong. Adapting a Chinese folktale about a widow torn between her amorous desires and moral obligations, the film examines gender roles in traditional Chinese society, where such a plight has rarely been confronted openly. Madam Tung (Lisa Lu), a devoted widow, is to be honoured by the court with the establishment of a chastity archway in her name. However, she finds herself developing feelings for Captain Yang (Roy Chiao), who is staying in her study, for whom her daughter (Hilda Chou) also harbours affection.

Shot in luminous black-and-white cinematography, The Arch is a perfect combination of traditional Chinese aesthetics and a modern European cinematic sensibility. Its daring experimental spirit, exemplified by the innovative use of dissolves, superimpositions, freeze frames, and repeated shots, was ahead of its time. The international cast and crew, assembled by director T’ang Shushuen, includes actors from the United States and Hong Kong; American editor (and independent filmmaker) Les Blank; and two cinematographers—Satyajit Ray’s long-time collaborator Subrata Mitra (interior photography) and Taiwan’s Chi Ho-Che (exterior photography).

Following its screening in 1969 as part of the first edition of Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and at the 22nd Locarno Film Festival, The Arch was warmly received during its months-long art-house distribution in France the same year. In 1970, it was reprinted on chromogenic film with redubbed Mandarin dialogue and additional onscreen Chinese subtitles for its theatrical release in Hong Kong. However, its run in the cinemas was short-lived due to the prudent nature of the distribution business in that era. In 1971, The Arch won four awards at the 9th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan.

About the Director

T’ang Shushuen (b. 1938, Hong Kong) grew up in Hong Kong and graduated from the University of Southern California’s Department of Cinema in the United States. Her debut feature, The Arch (1968), was the first film made outside the industry and independently released in Hong Kong. It was also the first Hong Kong film to be shown at several European and American film festivals, where it received much critical acclaim. After The Arch, T’ang made three more films: China Behind (1974), Sup Sap Bup Dup (1975), and The Hong Kong Tycoon (1979). In 1975, she founded the film publication Close Up, which later became Film Biweekly. She relocated to the United States in 1979.

Restoration details:  

1968 in the US, 1970 in Hong Kong | 91 min. | Mandarin (with Chinese and English subtitles)

Restored in 4K by M+ in 2025. The original black-and-white 35mm negatives of the film have been lost. The restoration was made using extant materials from 1968, including a 35mm release print preserved at the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and a 35mm release print preserved and scanned at the BFI National Archive.

The digital restoration was undertaken at Silver Salt Restoration.

Special thanks to the descendants of Paul Lee; Les Blank Films; and the Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

The System, Peter Yung's debut feature, is based on the connections and information he gathered while making Opium: The White Powder Opera (1976–1977), a documentary about the drug trade, years prior. The film intricately portrays the relationship between drug dealers, the police, and informants, earning high praise. Inspector Chan (Pai Ying) persuades drug lord Hung's assistant, Tam (Sek Kin), to cooperate and gather evidence against Hung. The operation, however, does not go smoothly and is sabotaged by another team within the police, further complicating the situation.

The film’s solid and detailed depiction of investigations and drug trafficking, combined with documentary techniques such as handheld cinematography, captures a wealth of scenes on location without resorting to convenient dramatisation, allowing it to stand out among the many works of Hong Kong’s first wave of New Wave cinema. Its distinctive and cohesive style is not found in Yung’s subsequent works.

The film offers profound and contrasting portrayals of its two main characters, without a dichotomous portrayal of good and evil. Instead, it delicately explores their nuanced relationship as both adversaries and allies, highlighting their interdependence. Additionally, the film reveals the in-fighting within different anti-drug trafficking departments, illustrating how the entire drug trafficking and law enforcement system is inextricably linked through mutual interests. The film is filled with memorable scenes, particularly the police's undercover operations in street-level surveillance and Inspector Chan's solitary journey up the mountain to spend the night and observe birds at dawn.

About the Director

Peter Yung (b. Hong Kong, 1949) was already a renowned photographer when he came to specialise in making documentaries on the drug trade in the 1970s. The System is his debut feature on the same topic that has a strong documentarian influence in both form and content, unprecedented in its thorough understanding of the drug trade and its different players on a human level.

He is unique among his generation of Hong Kong filmmakers as a pioneer and an independent director who often produced his own films. In the history of Hong Kong cinema, The System is a unique example of merging tragic pathos and investigative journalism with a raw shooting style. His other works include Life After Life (1981) and The Rickshaw Boy (1982), as well as Warlords of the Golden Triangles (1987), the continuation of his exploration of drug-related themes.

Restoration details

1979 | 88 min. | Cantonese (with Chinese and English subtitles)

Restored in 4K by M+ in 2025. The restoration was made using the original 35mm picture and sound negatives preserved at the Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The digital restoration was undertaken at L’Immagine Ritrovata, with colour correction completed at One Cool Production.

Set in San Francisco, Love Massacre (1981) follows college student Ivy (Brigitte Lin) as she tries to help her friend Joy (Tina Liu), who is depressed and delirious af­ter a breakup. Ivy soon becomes inadvertently involved with Joy's brother Chu Chung (Chang Kuo-Chu), but it is later revealed that he is married. Su­ffering from a hereditary mental illness, Chung eventually spirals into violence as he breaks into Ivy's dormitory and goes on a killing spree.

Shi­fting across genres―from drama and romance to thriller and slasher―director Patrick Tam blends elements of European arthouse films and American thrillers in this visually striking yet unsettling gem of the Hong Kong New Wave. The screenplay was written by Joyce Chan, Tam's long-term collaborator in television. This was Tam's first film that showcased the modern sensibility he developed during his years in television. The film redefined Brigitte Lin's image as the golden girl of Taiwanese romantic drama. It marked a new phase of her career in Hong Kong cinema.

Love Massacre is most notable for its use of bold colours to express emotions on screen. Although its initial box o­ffice performance and critical reception were average, it has since earned its recognition as a pioneering work of New Wave cinema. It also marked the debut of William Chang as an art director, and his striking contributions elevated the role.

About the Director

Patrick Tam (Hong Kong, born 1948) began his career at Television Broadcast Limited. His first feature film, The Sword (1980), was an innovative wuxia film that helped initiate the Hong Kong New Wave era. His talent for visual storytelling continued to develop in Love Massacre (1981), Nomad (1982), and Final Victory (1987). He is also known for his work as a film editor on Wong Kar Wai's Days of Being Wild (1990) and Ashes of Time (1994). Tam received the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards for After This Our Exile (2006).

Restoration details:

1981 | 91 min. | Cantonese (with Chinese and English subtitles)

Restored in 4K by M+ in 2025. The restoration was made using the original 35mm picture negative found in 2025, a 35mm workprint preserved at the Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, a 35mm release print preserved at the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and the Cantonese soundtrack from DVCAM tapes provided by Patrick Tam. This restoration reflects the director's cut as shown at the film's Hong Kong release in 1981 and is presented in the intended 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

The restoration advisor was Ross Lipman, who also completed the version conforming for this project. The digital restoration was undertaken at Colorlab, with colour correction completed at Digit Digit with the guidance of Brian Lai. The audio restoration was completed at Audio Mechanics.

Special thanks to David Yuen and Mei Ah Entertainment Group Limited.