For a better tomorrow

Chang Se-jeong
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Hong Kong movie star Chow Yun-fat, widely called the “eternal big brother” by many of his fans, visited Korea for the first time in 14 years to receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at the 28th Busan International Film Festival’s opening ceremony on Oct. 4. At the special screening for Chow, his new comedy film, “One More Chance,” was screened along with his other movies — “A Better Tomorrow” (1986) and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000). The movies brought back sentimental memories to his fans.

While his long-awaited visit was newsworthy, his comments at the press conference were also significant. Not only did it cause a political stir in Hong Kong and China, but it also offered a breath of fresh air for Koreans. He was not just an international star who became famous with his film noir performances at a young age. He proved he was also courageous intellectual.

Non-possession was the first topic for the press conference. When asked about his pledge to donate 5.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($715 million), he jokingly said, “It’s not me, it is my wife’s pledge. So, I don’t know exactly how much I donated.” His wife, Jasmine Tan, is a daughter of a Singaporean conglomerate family.

“I came to this world with nothing, so I don’t mind taking nothing with me when I leave,” Chow said. “I only need two bowls of rice a day.” He was referring to the Buddhist teaching that all men come into this world empty-handed and leave it empty-handed. Born into a poor family in Hong Kong’s seafront village and debuting at age 18, Chow has lived the life of a movie star for 50 years. But he has earned enormous respect for his humble lifestyle, taking the bus and subway to go shopping for daily necessities at local markets.

On Oct. 6, our National Assembly rejected the nomination of a Supreme Court Chief Justice candidate for the first time in 35 years due to issues related to his family’s wealth. It is a tragedy that the nominee for the highest judicial office was rejected for such a reason. As we worry about the serious aftermath of the vacancy in the highest court bench and delays in trials, it is embarrassing to even talk about Chow’s non-possession philosophy.

Another value Chow reminded us of was freedom. At the press conference, he was asked about Korean films succeeding the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. “The biggest competitive advantage of Korean films is the level of freedom,” he said. “The topics are wide ranging and you have a lot of creativity so whenever I watch Korean films I am always surprised to see this level of freedom.”

Asked about the fall of Hong Kong cinema, he said, “Somehow, after 1997 [when Britain transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong to China], a lot of things changed.”

“We have a lot of censorship requirements in mainland China so our scripts must go through a lot of different departments at the [China] Film Bureau,” Chow said at the press conference. “So, we must have a very direct and clear situation in the script. We have a lot of restrictions now. It’s very difficult for the filmmakers. But honestly, we will try our best to do our Hong Kong spirit movies. This is our goal.”

His face was grim as he spoke about freedoms being suppressed after China’s introduction of the Hong Kong national security law in 2020. It was noteworthy that he gave his answers in English, not Chinese, during this part. His volatile remarks exposing Hong Kong’s suppressed freedom were aired around the world. But in China, they were blocked and then deleted.

Chow is not a democracy activist. But he has consistently spoken out in favor of democracy and freedom for Hong Kong. In 2014, he was blacklisted by the Chinese authorities for supporting the Hong Kong democracy movement. In 2019, he jogged the streets wearing a black face mask on the first day of the mask ban apparently in defiance of the law. His actions were very different from fellow Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan — who has made a fortune starring in many Chinese films — perhaps because of his praise of President Xi Jinping.

Freedom is like air. You don’t realize how precious it is when you have it, but when it is gone for a second, you cannot breathe. I want to whisper to Chow that, in fact, freedom is sometimes threatened in Korea, too. Its neighbors are totalitarian countries, and in Korean society, there are many forces sympathetic toward them. Instead of fighting for the freedom of North Korean people who are suffering from human rights abuses by the hereditary dictatorship, some politicians during the previous administration were criticized for enacting a law banning the dispatch of pro-democracy leaflets to North Korea, just as if it were an order from Pyongyang.

Chow’s brief visit to Korea this fall is reminiscent of his romantic film “An Autumn’s Tale (1987).” A marathon runner for seven years, he jogged along the beach in Busan during his trip, breathing in the crisp morning air. He said he will participate in a half marathon in Hong Kong in November. I hope Chow and the people of Hong Kong will be able to leave the cage and enjoy freedom.