The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society will spotlight masterpieces by two supreme stylists, Douglas SIRK and Rainer Werner FASSBINDER, in the next repertory Cine Fan Programme starting in May.

To Sirk with Love, The Films of Douglas Sirk: Hailed by many as the “godfather of camp”, SIRK elevated Hollywood cinema conventions to their most expressive potential by fashioning America's ironic view through his critical eyes as a German migrant. 

An Obession to Die For, Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Reawakened by SIRK's films, New German Cinema maverick FASSBINDER channelled his creative inspiration through melodramas that subverted the genre.  Cine Fan's selection of 12 FASSBINDER films which offer a comprehensive overview of a tireless creator who often laid bare his soul for all to see, lived too fast, and died too young.

Cinema Heritage: Audiences will have a chance to see a film by John M. STAHL: Leave Her to Heaven (1945), his stunning Technicolor masterpiece which continues to spark critical debate for its bold reinterpretation of established genres, is presented under Cinema Heritage, a new Cine Fan section featuring restored classics from The Film Foundation. 

Restored Classics: Showcased in the Restored Classic section is Leo McCAREY's heart-wrenching Depression-era drama Make Way for Tomorrow (1937), which foreshadowed Ozu Yasujiro's Tokyo Story (1953).

The Golden Age: Three magnificent Hollywood actresses impress with their outstanding performances in the two classics under the Golden Age section.  Joan CRAWFORD won her only Academy Award in Mildred Pierce (1945), portraying a gallant woman who is hell-bent on freeing her family from economic hardship in Michael CURTIZ's eponymous noir melodrama.  Katherine HEPBURN and Elizabeth TAYLOR, the two stars in Joseph L. MANKIEWICZ's Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), were both Academy Awards Best Actress nominees for their striking transformation of the grotesque characters in Tennessee William's psychodrama.

Back to the Screen: Matching their brilliance is Ellen BURSTYN, who gives an Oscar-winning performance in Martin SCORSESE's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), a witty blending of a road movie with women's self-realisation.  Likewise, Kevin COSTNER stars as a dutiful farmer left musing over lost idealism in Phil Alden ROBINSON's Field of Dreams (1989), which offers a profound reflection on a father-and-son relationship.

Screening Schedule

The full programme and schedule are available at www.cinefan.com.hk. Tickets available from 8 April 2021 onwards at URBTIX.