Johnnie To’s restored masterpiece at Five Flavours!

A wide choice of Johnnie To’s works was presented at the 7th Five Flavours.

Johnnie To is a genuine legend of Hong Kong action cinema. He debuted as a director in 1980 but the most significant period in his artistic work started in the second half of the 1990s, when he founded Milkyway Images studio. He had to invent his own way of shooting action scenes to make them impressive enough in spite of low budgets available. As a master of style he inspired generations of filmmakers, including even Quentin Tarantino. His proficiency in the director’s craft and use of unconventional narration techniques is yet not all he can offer; To is also appreciated for accurate social observations. Five Flavours viewers had an opportunity to watch his films during the 7th edition of the festival.

This year we will present one of the greatest works by this incredibly talented director – the captivating "Throw Down".

Screenings:

• 16 November (Saturday) - 10.45 a.m. Kino Muranów (after the screening please feel welcome to stay at the meeting devoted to the book Made in Hong Kong. Kino czasu przemian - Made in Hong Kong. Cinema at the time of transition)

• 19 November (Tuesday) - 8.30 p.m. Kino Muranów

Throw Down 

Yau doh lung fu bong
dir. Johnnie To
Hong Kong 2004, 95'

Tony is a young judo master who wants to try his skills on the mat against the legendary Sze-to. The latter has already had his heyday, though – now he runs a nightclub, where he drinks himself under the table and loses large sums gambling. What made him fall so low? Will the acquaintance with a Taiwanese girl, who dreams of becoming a singer but currently is followed by shady characters from the underworld, help him come back to the competition?

"Throw Down" is Johnnie To’s personal project, falling outside all genre classifications, unpredictable, resembling a dream. The director weaves his urban tale of eye-seducing frames and visually captivating sequences which prove his proficiency in the art of filmmaking. Excellent Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok and Cherrie Ying form a heart-moving trio of people in need of each other – they are lost but they fight to escape the labyrinth of streets and smoke-filled dives. The credit for stunning pictures of Hong Kong vibrating with its nightlife goes to Siu-keung Cheung, long-time co-operator of the director.

A masterpiece still undiscovered, a film to which To himself refers as his favourite, a tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s debut – "Sanshiro Sugata" (aka Judo Saga), but also a magical love letter to the cinema itself.