Mr Tsui Hark

1951-

Director

Born Tsui Man Kwong, Tsui Hark is an iconoclastic director and producer known for pioneering new styles and techniques in Chinese movies. Born in Vietnam, Tsui moved to Hong Kong in 1966. He moved to the US in 1969 and pursued studies in film soon after. Upon returning to Hong Kong in 1977, he joined TVB as a director and writer. He then made his way to the big screen, gaining fame with The Butterfly Murders (1979). Considered an outstanding work of Hong Kong New Wave Cinema, the film had strong and stunning visuals that eventually evolved into Tsui’s signature style. His 1983 production Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) was a fantastical martial arts sci-fi made on a huge canvas. With its cutting-edge techniques and effects imported from the US, the film was a breeding ground for local special effects talent. In 1984, Tsui founded Film Workshop Limited, through which he helmed Shanghai Blues (1984), Peking Opera Blues (1986) and Once Upon a Time in China (1991); and produced John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986) and Ching Siu Tung’s A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) and A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation (1997). Tsui took his career to Hollywood in 1997, where he made Double Team (1997) and Knock Off (1998). On his return to Hong Kong, he directed Time and Tide (2000), Master Q 2001 and The Legend of Zu (2001). In recent years, Tsui has dedicated himself to developing 3D technology in large-scale mainland-Hong Kong co-productions such as Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011), Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013), The Taking of Tiger Mountain 3D (2015) and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017).