CALLING THE SHOTS

FILMMAKERS JOHNNIE TO AND SOI CHEANG DISCUSS THEIR PASSION FOR CINEMA AND A LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP. BY FRED TSUI

JOHNNIE TO IS A FILMMAKER in every moment of his life. Before our interview starts, in true director fashion, he claps his hands and yells, “Action!” At the age of 68, the multi-time Best Director winner’s instincts for the camera are as sharp as ever.

Sitting next to him is Soi Cheang: To’s longtime friend, collaborator and mentee. Since the late 1990s, Cheang has worked his way up the ranks in the industry before joining To’s production company Milkyway Image. His first Milkyway film, the To-produced Accident (2009), was a hit that made it to competition at the Venice Film Festival. In 2012, Motorway, also produced by To, earned him his first Best Director gong at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award.

“I saw potential in Soi years ago. I like his instincts and the way he operates on set,” says To about the younger director, who has developed a unique style of storytelling under To’s tutelage. Many critics have drawn comparisons between their works, speaking of a shared “aesthetic of violence” on screen.

“A director’s role is to curate every element captured on the footage,” says To, explaining that he emphasises the action rather than the violence. “To me, the pace and speed are the most important elements to consider.”

On the other hand, Cheang’s films are notoriously “ultraviolent”. However, his motivation behind showing all the gory details is to ensure the scene holds a realism. “It isn’t to beautify violence per se,” says Cheang. “I want viewers to feel the pain of my characters.”

Cheang’s latest work, Mad Fate, is a mystery thriller about fate and the refusal to submit to it. “Many people think it’s impossible to change one’s fate, but is that really true?” he asks. “That’s a question that I’d like viewers to take away from the film.”

Meanwhile, To, the film’s producer, believes it’s all a matter of willpower. “Kindness and compassion are important for humanity. If you have the heart to make a change for the good, it is possible to do so.”