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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:  

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

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 follows college student Ivy (Brigitte Lin) who inadvertently becomes involved in an affair with Chu Chung (Chang Kuo-Chu), the brother of Joy (Tina Liu), while Joy falls into depression after a breakup. Chung suffers from a hereditary mental illness, which ultimately leads to a violent outburst as he breaks into Ivy’s dormitory and goes on a killing spree. The film relentlessly shifts genres—from drama and romance to thriller and slasher.

Director Patrick Tam successfully channels elements of European arthouse films and American thrillers in this unsetting and visually striking New Wave gem. The script was written by Joyce Chan, a long-term writing partner of Tam in his television dramas. This marked Tam’s first film that showcased the impressive modern sensibility he developed during his television period. The film, which was set in the United States to accommodate Brigitte Lin’s schedule, completely transformed Lin's previous image as the golden girl of Taiwanese romantic drama, allowing her to enter a new phase of her career in Hong Kong cinema.

The film is most notable for its captivating visuals, utilising bold colours to express emotions with an experimental spirit. Although the box office performance and critical reception at the time were unexceptional, this does not diminish its pioneering role in New Wave cinema. In his debut as art director, William Chang Suk Ping elevated the role to a level that does not go unnoticed.

About the Director

Patrick Tam (b. 1948, Hong Kong) started his career in television at TVB. He directed his first feature film The Sword (1980), an innovative wuxia film that helped usher in the era of the Hong Kong New Wave. His knack for visual flair continued to flourish in Love Massacre (1981), Nomad (1982), and Final Victory (1987). He is also known for his work as an editor for films such as Wong Kar-Wai’s Days of Being Wild (1990) and Ashes of Time (1994). He was awarded Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Film Awards for After This Our Exile (2006).