Isabella
Hong Kong, 2006, 109 min
Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles
Screening Time
5:00pm April 14, 2007
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Director
Pang Ho-cheung
Filmography
AV (2005), Beyond Our Ken (2004), Men Suddenly in Black (2003), You Shoot, I Shoot (2001)
Cast and Credits
Isabella Leong, Chapman To
Synopsis
On the eve of Macau’s handover to China, police officer Shing (Chapman To) is having the worst time of his life. Suspended for suspected corruption, he tries to find solace with an elfin creature by the name of Yan (Isabella Leong) whom he just picks up. As he tries to smooth-talk her to bed, she suddenly snaps back with the biggest turn-off imaginable: that she is the daughter he never knew existed!
While Shing desperately tries to hold himself together, his bachelor life inevitably falls apart as Yan insists on living under his roof. Together the two of them start roaming through exotic Macau, tracking down Yan’s missing puppy and striving to get to know each other. No sooner has Shing grown into his new role as a father than he finds his hands full: when Yan is not fighting with his girlfriend Kate (Meme Tian), she is being bothered by her dorky classmate (Derek Tsang).
Will the newfound father and daughter, who have given up hope along the way, be able to find the true vocation of their lives at last?
Awards and Festivals
Berlin International Film Festival – Silver Bear for Best Film Music
Golden Bauhinia Award for Best New Performer (Isabella Leong)
Director's Bio
Renowned for his genre-bending and high concept works, Pang Ho-cheung is one of the most promising Hong Kong directors of his generation. He started his showbiz career as a TV writer and his first novel Fulltime Killer was adapted to screen by director Johnnie To and starred pop idols Andy Lau and Takashi Sorimachi.
In 1999, he financed his directorial debut with the short film Summer Exercise, which won an award at IFVA and became the first Hong Kong title to be nominated for Best Short Film at the Golden Horse Awards.
In 2001, he shot his first feature film You Shoot, I Shoot, a black comedy about a down-on-his-luck hit man, who was hit hard by the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and must make ends meet by resorting to extreme measures. It was heralded as a phenomenal cult film and won Best Screenplay at the 7th Golden Bauhinia Awards.
In 2003, he was named Best New Director for Men Suddenly in Black at the Hong Kong Film Awards. The film has also earned the Best Supporting Actor Award for Tony Leung Ka-fai.
In 2004, praised by Variety as the amalgamation of Claude Lelouch and Wong Kar Wai, he became the youngest director with a feature tribute in the history of the Tokyo International Film Festival with his 3rd feature film Beyond Our Ken.
In 2005, his subsequent feature AV was officially selected in the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Isabella is his latest feature that marks his debut as producer.