In the English-speaking world, July Rhapsody was one of Ann Hui’s most overlooked gems until now. The brand-new restoration presents Hui in one of her bread-and-butter genres: the domestic realist drama. Cantopop legends Jacky Cheung and Anita Mui (in her final film role) play middle-aged husband and wife seemingly in domestic contentment, until the husband and high school teacher Lam’s world is rocked by a seductive teenage student. July Rhapsody explores not only its protagonist in mid-life crisis, but also Hong Kong in a crisis between identities, as a major segment takes place in the Mainland Chinese city Shenzhen. Connecting a slice-of-life story with urban cityscapes and Lam’s subject of ancient Chinese literature, July Rhapsody is an elegant masterpiece that finds poeticism in life’s ordinary-looking yet subtly transformative reckonings. The powerhouse duo of female filmmakers (Hui and screenwriter Ivy Ho) also birth a new young star Karena Lam, who has gone on to become one of the most accomplished actresses in the Chinese-language world.

迄今爲止，《男人四十》應該是許鞍華導演在非華語市場裏最被忽視的佳作。全新的修復版呈現了許鞍華的其中一道拿手好戲：寫實風格的家庭描寫。在後者的最終演出，香港樂壇天王天后張學友與梅艷芳飾演看次生活美滿的中年夫婦，直至丈夫及中學教師林耀國遇上秀色可餐的女學生。《男人四十》部份於深圳取景，探究的中年危機不僅於林耀國，更是主權移交後的香港的身份危機。許鞍華把生活日常、城市面貌，以及林耀國任教的古代中國文學連結起來，在看似枯燥但其實翻雲覆雨的人生經歷發掘出詩意，促成了又一套傑作。許鞍華和編劇岸西的最強女電影人組合亦發掘了超新星林嘉欣，奠定了林嘉欣日後在華語影壇裏獲獎無數的基礎。

Director’s bio
Ann Hui is one of the leading figures of the Hong Kong New Wave, and the city’s all-time greatest woman filmmaker. She holds the records for most Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse Awards for Best Director. In 2020, she was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement by the Venice Film Festival. She is known for her social awareness and realist touch, and her most notable works include her “Vietnam trilogy,” Summer Snow, and A Simple Life, which swept four awards at the 68th Venice Film Festival.

導演簡介
許鞍華是香港新浪潮的領導人物之一以及香港史上最偉大的女電影人。她是榮獲最多次香港電影金像獎和台灣金馬獎最佳導演的雙紀錄保持者。於2020年，她更榮獲威尼斯影展的終生成就獎。她以社會觸覺和人文關懷見稱，代表作包括「越南三部曲」、《女人四十》、《桃姐》等，其中《桃姐》於第68屆威尼斯影展橫掃四個獎項。