Biographical notes

Johnnie To, born on 22 April 1955, has been one of Hong Kong’s top directors for over 25 years. Like most new-generation Hong Kong directors, To came to filmmaking via television work, making numerous drama series for TVB in the 1970s. Having switched to the silver screen in 1980, he achieved commercial success with films such as All About Ah-Long (You jian A Lang ,1989) and Eastern Three Heroes (Dung fong saam hap ,1993), and in the following decade he made more personal films – such as Where a Good Man Goes (Joi gin a long, 1999), Running Out of Time (1999), Help!!! (Lat sau wui cheun, 2000) – after the foundation of the independent production company Milkyway Image, known for its gangster movies. Surrounding himself with talented young directors, he was able to imbue Hong Kong cinema with a fresh impetus, after its affliction by economic crisis in the early 1990s. Under his protective wing, from 1996 onwards Wai Ka-Fa, Patrick Leung and Patrick Yau have created, inevitably on extremely low budgets, action movies which reflect the new aesthetic fostered by Johnny To: dark, pessimistic (though with flashes of humour) and daringly realistic, these filmmakers’ works frequently convey, with great dramatic intensity, the world of the marginalised and maladjusted. His aesthetic has found favour in the West in recent years after some of his films – A Hero Never Dies (Chan sam ying hung, 1998), The Mission (Cheung fo, 1999) and Fulltime Killer (Chuen jik sat sau, 2001) – were showcased at major international festivals. To took part in the Venice Film Festival with Throw Down (Rudao longhu bang), out of competition in 2004, and Exiled (Fangzhu), in Competition in 2006. At the Cannes Festival he has presented Breaking News (Daai si gin) out of Competition in 2004, Election (Hak se wui) in Competition in 2005, Election 2 (Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai) out of Competition in 2006, and Triangle, together with Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam, in 2007. To, in contrast to many of his Hong Kong colleagues, succeeds in shifting easily and naturally from action films to romantic comedies, creating richly diverse works that are formally flawless and possess an innate sense of narrative. In recent years, during which his career has shown exponential growth from a stylistic and expressive point of view, he has truly established himself as a filmmaker.

Wai Ka-Fai began his career with the television network TVB, and he quickly became the producer, director and writer of successful drama series. Seen as Milkyway Image’s second creative mind, Wai owes his fame to his frequent collaborations with Johnnie To. Together they have produced and directed various films, including Fulltime Killer (Chuen jik sat sau, 2001) and Running on Karma (Daai chek liu, 2003).