Special Screening of Golden Gate Girls:the untold stories of the first Chinese female film director in America
Released on April 20 in the “Hong Kong, Reimagined” programme as part of the ongoing (2013) tells a story about the first Chinese film and fashion icon in Hollywood.
GOLDEN GATE GIRLS
dir. Louisa Wei | 2013 | 90 mins | Documentary | Cantonese, English | Hong Kong SAR
Available between April 20 – May 12
This documentary focuses on the life and works of Esther Eng (1914-1970), the first woman to direct Chinese-language film in the US, and the most prominent woman director in Hong Kong in the 1930’s. A San Francisco native and open lesbian, her contribution to film history is sadly overlooked – her 11 feature films mostly lost. After the retirement of director Dorothy Arzner in 1943 and before Ida Lupino began directing in 1949, Eng was the only woman directing feature length films in the US. The film paints a fascinating picture of how Eng’s career in filmmaking broke through gender and racial boundaries in Hollywood and Hong Kong, at a time when opportunities for Chinese women in the industry were few and far between.
MULAN FOUNDATION SPECIAL EVENT
An Event for Mulan’s Members: click the links below to book
Special Screening Date: May 8 | 18:45 BST
Q&A with director Dr Louisa Wei: May 9 | 14:00 BST
About Speaker Dr Louisa Wei
With a PhD in Film Studies from University of Alberta (Canada), Dr Louisa Wei joined the School of Creative Media in 2001 and has taught over 2000 students. Her courses are mostly related to filmmaking, film history, storytelling, and topics in media/popular culture; while she also advises student studio/thesis projects in fiction/script writing, documentary, narrative film, and projects with gender-related themes. As an independent documentary filmmaker, her two feature films—Storm under the Sun (2009) and Golden Gate Girls (2013)—have gained international recognition from academia and film festivals, as well as attracted media attention ranging from Hollywood’s trade magazine to major newspapers in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Chinese Cinema Season (Feb 12 - May 12) is the largest online showcase of Chinese-language cinema in the UK and Europe, co-presented by Trinity CineAsia, Filming East Festival and UK-China Film Collab. | Festival Website: www.chinesefilm.uk