Wong Kar Wai and Cantopop star Faye Wong collaborating again after 18 years

Famed Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai was spotted with elusive Cantopop star Faye Wong as the two worked on their first collaboration in 18 years.

• READ MORE: The 10 best Asian films and TV shows of 2022 – so far

Malay Mail reported that the two were spotted by Chinese paparazzo Liu Dachui filming a commercial together on August 4. Wong was spotted practising her steps slightly nervously under the director’s supervision, wearing a white tube dress with golden bangles.

The director supposedly laughed as she practiced in a moment of levity, the newspaper reported. No further information has been revealed about the collaboration, but it would be the first time the two have collaborated since the 2004 drama 2046, which was also one of the last big-screen roles the singer took on before retreating from the public eye.

Wong made her acting debut in Wong Kar Wai’s classic 1994 film Chungking Express as a snack bar waitress named Faye. The director has praised her for her performance, calling her “the most special actress I have ever worked with” in the commentary for Chungking Express.

A seven-film collection from Wong Kar Wai, featuring five of his most iconic movies received a 4K restoration under the guidance of the iconic Hong Kong director himself, was recently released on curated streaming platform MUBI.

2046 (2004), Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), Happy Together (1997), and In the Mood for Love (2000) were remastered in 4K for the collection, which also includes Ashes of Time Redux (2008) and The Hand (2004). Wong Kar Wai supervised the restoration from his native Hong Kong, while film restoration laboratory L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna led the project.

Widely regarded as a contemporary auteur and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Wong Kar Wai began his career as a director in 1988 with the crime drama As Tears Go By. He shot to fame when his 1994 film Chungking Express garnered widespread success, winning him the Best Film and Best Director awards at the 1995 Hong Kong Film Awards.

He would go on to become recognisable for his signature style, which prefers bold colours and lively cinematography alongside nonlinear narratives soundtracked to soaring, atmospheric music.

Wong has not released any new feature films since 2018’s Jinpa, but has been working on the TV series Paradise Guesthouse and Blossoms, both of which are currently in the pre-production phase.

The post Wong Kar Wai and Cantopop star Faye Wong collaborating again after 18 years appeared first on NME.