From Now On

March 15, 2005

Best Chinese movie 'Spring in a Small Town', Hong Kong film association says - Hong Kong (AP) - 'Spring in a Small Town', a 1948 love story set in the ruins of the Japanese occupation, is ranked No. 1 on the list of the best 100 Chinese films, the Hong Kong Film Awards Association said Monday. The second best film is 'A Better Tomorrow', a 1986 Hong Kong movie about police battling gangsters. No. 3 is another Hong Kong film: 'Days of Being Wild', a 1990 movie about a man who searches for his mother, the association said. 'Yellow Earth', a 1984 film from mainland China about a Communist guerrilla's visit to a poor village in western China, was ranked No. 4, the group said. The Taiwanese historical drama 'A City of Sadness', about Taiwan's violent transition from Japanese rule to Chinese control in the late 1940s, was fifth on the list. The other films - listed in order of rank - were 'Long Arm of the Law' (Hong Kong, 1984), 'Dragon Inn' (Taiwan, 1967), 'Boat People' (Hong Kong, 1982), 'Hsia Nu' (Taiwan, 1971) and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (Taiwan, Hong Kong, 2000). Source: The Canadian Press - CBC.CA - The Star - The Star - Many many thanks to Simie, which also provided the list below with Julie! 

March 16, 2005

'The Shining Star - In Reminiscence of Leslie's Artistic Life' Seminar: Leslie's Artistic Exploration in His Latest Periods - Leslie's achievement, contribution and his charisma in the artistic field have been highly praised by the speakers in the previous seminars. His acting and performance on the stage in each period reveal different artistic ideas and give audiences different spirits of life. Let us explore our beloved Leslie's glorious marks through the seminars conducted regularly in the future. On April 3, 2005 from 1 pm to 6 pm at the Auditorium, Hong Kong International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong with free admission (language: Cantonese). Contents: from 1 pm to 3 pm: film show: 'The Kid', from 3 pm to 5 pm: seminar on Leslie's works by guest speakers, from 5 pm to 6 pm: sharing session. More info: www.leslie-cheung.info

March 18, 2005

Here is the complete results in the RTHK Poll held in conjuction with the anniversary celebrations of the 100 Years of Chinese Film History.

Source: MingPaoDaily, SingTao, The Sun, IChannel , Yahoo! - many thanks to Simie! 

March 21-22, 2005

Deanie Ip is performing three shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum starting on May 20 to the 22nd. The star plans on spraying the arena with perfume and incense and decorating it like a starry night. Deanie is expected to remember her old friends Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui and Roman Tam by covering their songs. Source HKVPRadio and Oriental Daily.

Karena Lam questions 'Closed Eye' Playbill - Leading actress, Karena Lam arrived solo in Beijing yesterday to promote the film 'Inner Senses' in the mainland. She clarified that GorGor's suicide was in no way related to his role in 'Inner Senses'. At the same she also raised her queries regarding the mainland's playbill of the film. It has long been rumoured that Leslie Cheung's tragic death was a result of his total immersion into his role in the film and his inability to withdraw from his character in this psychotic thriller. Karena Lam firmly refutes such speculations, "GorGor was an outstanding actor. Regardless of how sad or terrifying a scene was, when the camera stopped rolling, GorGor would immediately greet everyone and invite them for supper. He absolutely had the quality and the standard every professional actor should have. I feel that people who claim that he was a victim of his movie are questioning his professionalism. To me this is especially unacceptable." Regarding GorGor's suicide, Karena Lam could not accept it for a very long time. Up till the present moment, she still believes that GorGor is always there beside her. "Nowadays I can still hear his songs being played while shopping in the shopping centres. His movies are frequently being shown on TV whenever I am watching TV. How can he be far away?" Karena Lam appeared a bit emotional with tears shimmering in her eyes. In conjunction with the screening of the film, a brand new playbill has been printed in the Mainland for advertisement purposes. This poster is different from the original Hong Kong version. GorGor's terrifying image with his left eye in shock horror has been warped with the aid of computer graphics into a serene GorGor with his left eye closed while the expression of Karena Lam remained unchanged in the mainland poster. Karena Lam expressed her displeasure towards this new poster. She said she only saw the poster after she got off the plane yesterday. "Frankly speaking, I really don't quite fancy this poster. It is obvious that this poster is purely for propaganda. I feel the original poster is more appropriate and it conforms closer to the plot of the movie. I find this new poster rather strange. I do not wish this poster to be a reflection of the fact that he has departed." - Source Beijing Times, kindly provided and translated by Simie! Other news: MingPaoDaily - The Sun on March 22, 2005

The 5th Chinese Film Media Awards opened last night in southern China's Guangzhou city. Among the 100 best actors in the 100 years of Chinese cinema there was also our Leslie! Source: WenweiPo and TakungPao.

The 5th Chinese Films Media Awards 2005 - The 5th Chinese Films Media Awards opened last night in southern China's Guangzhou city. Apart from the regular awards, the event created new awards to celebrate the centenary of Chinese films. There were awards for the top 100 Chinese films, top 100 directors and top 100 actors and actresses. On the list of the 100 renowned directors were Wang Weiyi, Hu Bingliu, Zhang Che and Li Han-hsing while Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui were on the list of the top 100 actors and actresses. This is the centenary year of the Chinese film industry and the awards ceremony was permeated with nostalgia and celebrations. There was a segment  reminiscing the 80s era of Hong Kong film industry to pay tribute to Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. AT17 and Enman Lam performed some classic songs of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. Raymond Wong went on stage to accept Leslie Cheung's award for the Centenary of Chinese Films Top 100 Actors. In his speech he said, "Leslie Cheung have made many films and more than half of these films were made in collaboration with our Mandarin Film Company Ltd and Cinema City Film Company Ltd. Therefore I understood him very well. Everybody knows he was a good actor as well as a great singer but the most important attributes of a popular actor are his calibre and his character. In this aspect, Leslie Cheung scored a perfect 10. He was a very punctual person. All his co-stars who had worked with him were full of praises for him.  Our bosses liked him immensely too because after he had completed a film, he was absolutely willing to go everywhere to do promotional work for the film. Moreover he made it very cost efficient for the bosses on these trips for he never went with a big entourage; usually on his own. He also had extremely good judgment on newcomers and was most willing to promote these freshies. He once told me to pay attention to a certain newie and predicted that he would be very successful in the future. This person is none other than the once fair-skinned but now is a very tanned-looking Louis Khoo. Leslie Cheung is like a star in the sky to be fondly remembered by all of us forever. Source: Ent.Sina, kindly provided and translated by Simie.

March 22-23, 2005

GorGor's Final Encounter Concert - full version to be released on DVD in April.
On 16 March 2005 at the press conference for Jacky Cheung's 'Snow Wolf Lake' 04-05 World Tour, Florence Chan revealed that Universal Music Group (UMG) is going to release a set of 4 DVDs on Leslie Cheung's 1989 Final Encounter Concert. This special 4xDVD set contains the full repertoire of all the songs performed at this concert. It also includes the appraisals of Leslie Cheung by some entertainment celebrities following his demise in 2003. In addition Rock Records will also be releasing some of GorGor's music classics which should be pleasing news to both his old and new fans. The 'Leslie Beloved' album is in the IFPI Top Ten Best Selling Canto albums list! Source: OrientalDaily, The Sun, SingTao and LeslieTong.com 1 - 2 kindly provided by Simie!

Leslie on YesAsia: new and old products!

March 24, 2005

Between March 30 and April 5, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong will present a unique trailer which includes footages of Leslie’s five most classical movies ('A Better Tomorrow', 'A Better Tomorrow II', 'A Chinese Ghost Story', 'A Chinese Ghost Story II' and 'Once A Thief'), exclusive interviews with directors/commentators and the making of 'A Chinese Ghost Story II'. The trailer is provided by Fortune Star Entertainment (HK) Limited and Red Mission. Source: The Sun and Oriental Daily.

March 25-26, 2005

On The Sun news about Leslie Legacy Association candlelit and private screening on April 1-2, 2005. On MingPaoDaily news on 'Yesterday Once More' by Red Mission. Leslie Cheung's classics graced the big screen again - April 1, a day which many fans of Leslie Cheung would rather choose not to have to remember but with the anniversary of his passing fast approaching, the fact remains that Leslie Cheung had departed from us almost two years ago. The grief felt by all his fans will now be transformed into fond remembrance of him. All that GorGor had left behind for them were his performances spanned over period of over 20 years in both films and music. This year a group of devoted fans which made up RED Mission will not only be holding a 'Salute to Leslie Cheung' evening at Chater Garden in Central on 1 April but in addition there will be the screening of 5 classic films in a movie festival, 'Yesterday Once More, A Retrospect of Leslie Cheung's Classic Movies Series 1' in 3 separate cinemas from 1April to 3 April. Due to the overwhelming response to the movie festival, the screening sessions have now increased to a total of 25. In an interview with Hollywood director, John Woo, who had collaborated with Leslie Cheung in the past, he disclosed that he was very impressed with Leslie Cheung after watching his performance in the film, 'Encore' which led him to pick Leslie Cheung to play the role of 'Kit Chai' in the film 'A Better Tomorrow'. To compile a list of movies starring Leslie Cheung is as tedious as counting stars.  The five films selected for the screening were films made by Leslie Cheung prior to his decision to quit showbiz circle which include 'A Better Tomorrow I and II', 'A Chinese Ghost Story I and II' and 'Once A Thief'. The films, 'A Better Tomorrow I and II' and 'A Chinese Ghost Story I and II' have never been re-screened in the Hong Kong cinemas over the past 10 years. To have the chance to watch these films in their original 35 mm format on the big screen is indeed a rare opportunity. Twenty percent of the box-office proceeds from this movie festival will go to the Children's Cancer Foundation to extend Leslie Cheung's charitable spirit. Simultaneously Red Mission is preparing to publish the commemorative book on 'Leslie Cheung's Movie World Series 1' to be made available on the market on the anniversary day of GorGor's demise. A special trip was made to the United States to conduct a personal interview with renowned Hollywood director, John Woo, who had collaborated with GorGor in the past when they worked on the film, 'A Better Tomorrow'.  In this one hour interview, John Woo poured out his feelings regarding Leslie Cheung.  Apparently Leslie Cheung's fresh and clean image with his slight similarity in nature to the rebellious James Dean had attracted John Woo's attention prior to the film, 'A Better Tomorrow'.  He said at that time when he and Tsui Hark were making 'A Better Tomorrow', they decided to cast Leslie Cheung as 'Kit Chai' in 'A Better Tomorrow' after watching him in a scene from the film 'Encore'.  He also highly praises Leslie Cheung as a very individualistic actor whose acting came straight from his heart and he did not care even if the camera was not focussed on him. On MingPaoDaily, SingTao and The Sun news about Edison Chan who will sing a song as a tribute to Leslie. Eason Chen dedicates a song to Leslie Cheung - At his rehearsal for his Metro Radio music concert on Sunday, Eason Chen disclosed he will be dedicating a song to the late Leslie Cheung.  Co-incidentally it will be the second anniversary of the demise of Leslie Cheung on 1 April. Yesterday Eason Chen disclosed the song tentatively titled 'Refuse To Seek Help From Others' had been recorded over a year ago. Lam Yik Bong wrote the music with lyrics by Lam Jik.  Eason Chen said the song is like having a chat with GorGor. It will not make anyone sorrowful after listening to it. It would be a timely tribute to Leslie Cheung with the commemoration of the second anniversary of his passing in a few days time. On Shenzen Daily a very interesting and important interview with Law Chi-Leung, the director of 'Inner Senses', finally screened in Mainland China! All by Simie!

A beautiful article on 'Days on Being Wild' written by Desson Thompson for the 'Washington Post'! He wrote:

There's an especially haunting feeling about this movie, now, in light of Cheung's death. Perhaps the most poignant moment is when, as Yuddy, he mentions hearing about a bird with no legs that is forced to spend its whole life flying. When it finally lands, it dies. On April 1, 2003, Cheung, who had been suffering from acute depression, leapt to his death from the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong. Thousands of people came for the funeral. One of Hong Kong's most beloved birds had made its final landing.

Leslie Legacy Events in Hong Kong, April 1-2 2005 on HKTB newsletter!

March 28, 2005

BOOK ON SALE!!!

Today I want to talk you about a wonderful book dedicated to Brigitte Lin, written by Akiko Tetsuya. It contains a nice interview with Leslie and two beautiful unreleased pictures of him with Brigitte!!! Don't miss it!

THE LAST STAR OF THE EAST - Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia and Her Films

http://www.akikospace.com

March 30, 2005

The day after tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of the passing of GorGor Leslie Cheung.  His fans from across the globe will attend various commemorative events in memory of their superstar. One of the larger scale memorial event, 'Salute To Leslie', will take place at Chater Garden in Central at around 7.30pm on Friday evening . In view of the recent unstable weather conditions, the organisers of this event have erected a big white tent to provide cover for fans and provision has also been made for 10,000 raincoats to be distributed to fans to shield them from possible wind and rain on the evening of the event. Fans have also been advised by the organisers to come dressed in black attire for the evening's activities. Elsewhere there have been reports that the ashes of the GorGor have been placed in the Manjusri Temple in Sichuan with his photo on the altar. However GorGor's ex-manager, Florence Chan has denied that his ashes were placed in Sichuan.  She said, "I know there are many thoughtful fans who have erected altars for GorGor in various places. Their intention was to provide a place where they could go to pay their respects and offer sacrifices to him but  this place in Sichuan is not where GorGor's ashes are being kept."  When she was asked for the whereabouts of GorGor's ashes, she replied that it was not convenient for her to disclose this matter. Florence Chan indicated that she will not be attending any of the commemorative events on 1 April but instead she will remain at home to reminisce GorGor fondly. Meanwhile The Chosun Ilbo reported that Korean fans wearing yellow ribbons paid their respects to GorGor with their offerings of cards and fresh flowers in a ceremony held in the Gangnam-gu district in south-eastern Seoul three days ago. Source: The Sun and OrientalDaily, kindly translated by Simie.

March 31, 2005

News on WenWeiPo, Oriental Daily, The Sun and AppleDaily on LeslieTong.com.

April 1st, 2005

News on WenWeiPo, OrientalDaily, SingTao, The Sun, Yahoo! 1 - 2, AppleDaily on LeslieTong.com, IChannel. Florence Chan's interview by Sohu.com on LeslieTong.com will be translated in English soon here! MingPaoDaily titles: "Florence Chan and Mr. Tong mourn Leslie in silence".

The homage of Leslie's Pillow to Mr Leslie Cheung

April 2, 2005

On newspapers today a lot of news about 'Tonight and Forever' candlelit memorial!!!!! Translations will follow, in meantime visit: Ent.Sina, MingPao, OrientalDaily, WenWeiPo, TakungPao, The Sun, IChannel, SingPao, SingTao and the whole cover of AppleDaily on LeslieTong! Visit Yahoo! from Reuters pictures and South China Morning Post on LeslieTong.

News also reported about Red Mission events, the visit of fans to Madame Tussaud's Museum, to Mandarin Oriental Hotel and to Leslie's house. And everywhere fans brought flowers, tons of wonderful flowers. Visit: Ent.sina, MingPao 1-2-3-4-5-6, TakungPao 1-2-3, WenWeiPo, IChannel 1-2-3-4-5-6

Mr. Tong mourned Leslie quietly at home and received the visit of good friends, like Leslie's niece, Florence Chan with her son, former assistant Kenneth, Eliza Chan and others. They said he was very sorrowful and his spirit isn't fully recovered after two years. He asked his maid to bring flowers of fans inside. Events to remember Leslie also in China, were 'Inner Senses' was screened for the very first time!

Fans observed a minute of silent tribute to Leslie Cheung to mark the certified time of his death - Yesterday at 5pm, fan club Leslie Legacy which comprises of fans from the Mainland and Hong Kong held a special gathering at The Podium, Jardine House to commemorate the second anniversary of the passing of Leslie Cheung. Initial estimation of 1500 fans at the candlelight vigil turned out to be 1000 fans at final count but this did not in any way affect the mood of the grieving fans in attendance. Upon admission each fan was given a copy of a lyrics sheet of GorGor's songs and a candle. At exactly 6.41 pm, the certified time of GorGor's death, the fans paid a minute of silent tribute. The commemorative event commenced with four fans giving a musical instrumental performance of GorGor's classical works. A fan of French nationality who has specially flew into Hong Kong from France went on stage to perform a beautiful and touching rendition of GorGor's song, 'Past Love'. This was followed by a screening of the highlights of all of GorGor's past concert performances through the years. Many fans choked with emotions upon seeing GorGor's brilliant performances on screen. The commemorative activity came to a close at around half past seven in the evening. This time the total cost of holding this event was approximately $30,000. Last night following the conclusion of the Jardine House candlelight vigil, another commemorative event for GorGor was in progress nearby. Today at the Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre there will be a screening of GorGor's early TV series, 'A Little Wish', made during his days with Rediffusion TV. The majority of the participants for this screening are fans who had come from Japan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Source: TakungPao kindly translated by Simie! Pics from MingPaoWeekly.

Leslie Cheung is not lonely - On April Fool's day two years ago, Leslie Cheung jumped to his death and henceforth this brilliant superstar left us just like ashes in the wind. Although he is no longer with us yet his fans have not stopped grieving and missing him any less. Yesterday marked the second anniversary of GorGor's passing. At the Podium, Jardine House in Central over a thousand devoted fans all dressed in dull colours gathered together to commemorate the second anniversary of the passing of Leslie Cheung. At 6.41 pm sharp, the certified time of GorGor's death, fans observed a minute of silence to pay tribute and send their blessings to GorGor somewhere in a distant place. Many fans were overcome with emotions and could not hold back their tears. Following this over at Chater Garden, another commemorative event with the theme 'Salute To Leslie' was underway attracting over 2,000 fans that had come to salute GorGor. 'Salute To Leslie' commenced at 7.30pm and went on for 2 hours. The stage was housed in a pavilion made of pure white material which idea came from the movie, 'A Chinese Ghost Story'. The cost of organising this event is believed to be in the range of a six-figure sum. At the extreme end of the stage stood a white piano on which Michael Lai Siu Tin played the instrumental piece of the theme song from the TVB series, 'Once Upon An Ordinary Girl' as his tribute to Leslie Cheung. All participants were given glow-lights compliments from the organisers with the implication that the brilliance of GorGor will never be extinguished but will continue to live in the hearts of everyone forever. Representatives of fans from all over the world gave their speeches in five different languages; Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and English. There was a screening of 10 interviews conducted with GorGor's friends including John Woo, Tsui Hark, Stanley Kwan Kam Pang and Raymond Wong Bak Ming. The focus of their interviews revolved around their views on GorGor's films and music, his character and charisma and his kindness. There was also a clip on Anita Mui sharing her personal impression of GorGor. Fans could not hold back their tears upon seeing the two demised superstars on screen. In the clip, Anita said, "GorGor and I have been good friends for many years and our bond went beyond that of a male and female relationship. Although we were not lovers but we understood each other extremely well; even better than most lovers understand each other." Special guests at last night's event include Michael Lai, Japanese singer Aki Shinjuku and musician Tong Yik Chung. Artiste Ngai Jan was also present to pay his tribute to Leslie Cheung. Yesterday large groups of GorGor's fans were seen at GorGor's house at Kadoorie Hill, at the Mandarin Hotel and on the Peak at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Fans mostly dressed in black came to offer their flowers to GorGor. The majority of these flowers were white roses, a favourite of GorGor. A sea of flowers could be seen at these places. However GorGor's good friend, Daffy Tong and ex-manager, Florence Chan, were not present at any of the commemorative events yesterday. Instead they chose to remember GorGor quietly at home. GorGor has left behind his many films and his delightful songs. Fans can continue to cherish the memory of GorGor through his films and music. Included in the commemorative activities will be a screening of some of GorGor's classic films. From 1 April to 3 April there will be a movie festival, 'Yesterday Once More, A Retrospect of Leslie Cheung's Classic Movies Series 1' which will be screening five classic films, 'A Better Tomorrow I and II', 'A Chinese Ghost Story I and II' and 'It Takes A Thief'. The three cinemas running this movie festival are Palace IFC, Central, Cinematheque Broadway Theatre, Yaumatei and Golden Gateway, Tsim Sha Tsui. A certain percentage of the box-office proceeds from these three cinemas estimated to be around $100,000 will be donated to the Children's Cancer Foundation. Many fans were seen with tears in their eyes as they reflected upon their demised star after their movie sessions. There will be more commemorative activities over the next two days and these include today's screening of Leslie's early TV series at Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre while on 3 April over at the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay, there will be a seminar on Leslie Cheung's artistic works during his later period titled 'The Shining Star – In Reminiscence of Leslie Cheung's Artistic Life'. Source: WenWeiPo kindly translated by Simie!

Standing tribute to mark the second anniversary 2000 fans sang their song of love to GorGor - On April 1, 2003 Leslie Cheung shattered the hearts of his fans around the world by jumping to his death from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Two years after the memory still lingers. Yesterday there were many commemorative activities being held with teary-eyed fans raising their voices to sing their song of love in the hope that the sound of their singing will flutter in the wind heaven-wards to reach a faraway GorGor. Yesterday various commemorative activities were held in Chater Garden, The Podium, Jardine House, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, GorGor's residence at Kadoorie Hill, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Palace IFC in Central, Cinematheque Broadway in Yaumatei and Golden Gateway in Tsim Sha Tsui. Among these activities, the biggest scale event was the 'Salute To Leslie' evening in Chater Garden. At 7.30 pm in the evening, Michael Lai seated in front of a triangular shaped white piano played the instrumental version of 'Feelings of Yester-year', the theme song from TVB's series, 'Once Upon An Ordinary Girl' to start off the evening's programme. The entire audience of 2000 fans were dressed solemnly in black; waving rainbow coloured glow-sticks while shouting loudly, "GorGor!" It was sad to hear this. The evening's programme was divided into four categories namely GorGor's music, his movies, his character and his benevolent spirit. Video clips on GorGor's participation in the Korean song competition in 1978 and scenes from his classic works in films were screened. There was also a clip on an interview conducted with Anita Mui before she died in which she expressed their mutual understanding of each other, a bond which surpassed the strongest sentiments between any male and female. Their relationship was better than that of lovers. GorGor gave her a strong sense of security. To see these two superstars leaving us in succession, one cannot help but heave a sigh heavy with sorrow and grief. In closing the entire audience lifted up their voices to sing the song, 'Chase'. It was an extremely touching scene. Meanwhile earlier at The Podium, Jardine House there was a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to GorGor. Several hundreds fans attended this event. At around 6 pm in the evening, fans gave a violin recital of a selection of GorGor's songs. Then the entire congregation of fans observed a minute of silence to pay tribute to GorGor. This was followed by the rendition of GorGor's 'Past Love' from a fan of French nationality. The venue was transformed into a real stage with video clips of GorGor's concerts playing in the background. Suddenly it was like GorGor was back performing live on stage. At GorGor's residence in Kadoorie Hill, fans came with red wine, flowers, cards and letters and laid these at the front of the house. GorGor's beloved, Daffy Tong, did not make an appearance but he sent out his maid to pick up the bouquet of flowers and the other gifts that were left at the door. In the afternoon, GorGor's niece, ex-manager Florence Chan and her son, GorGor's former assistant, Kenneth, good friend, Eliza Chan and Mrs Cheung Chit arrived to provide support to Daffy Tong and to help him through this emotionally sad day. Source: The Sun kindly translated by Simie!

Florence Chan and Daffy Tong remember Leslie quietly - Fans have gathered in makeshift memorials to remember their beloved idol Leslie Cheung - his former residence, the Madame Tussaud Wax Museum where his was figure is now displayed plus the Mandarin Oriental hotel where he plunged from the 24th floor. How have the two most important people in Leslie's life - manager Florence Chan and lover Daffy Tong - spent April 1, two years after Leslie took his own life? Florence is committing herself to Jacky Cheung's 'Snow Wolf Lake' production. She says, "In my history, there isn't such a day as April 1st." She doesn't want to remember this particular day. Because of a change in production scheduling, Florence had the day off on April 1st. "Today Daffy and I won't be attending any gatherings. We'll spend this day quietly and reflect on the moments of our past." Is Daffy OK? "He's alright. He hasn't changed much from before. He plays badminton often and hopes to live healthy. For him, Leslie is still here, so don't worry about him." She adds that she hopes the media will give Daffy space. Last year on the first anniversary of Leslie's passing, she produced a song called 'Fireworks Soup'. She wanted to produce another song this year about friendship, especially after hearing Jacky's new single 'For My Friend'. Everytime she hears the melody she would cry. After learning that Jacky isn't planning on rewriting the song with Mandarin lyrics, Florence decided to write her own feelings of Leslie. This song is scheduled to finish this September. Source: Yahoo! translated by HKVPRadio. Pics from MingPaoWeekly.

Grey sky reflects mood as star's fans remember - Under a chilly grey sky, more than 1,000 fans paid a silent tearful tribute to late Canto-pop superstar Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing on the second anniversary of his death. From 1pm, fans began lining Ice House Street - beside the Mandarin Oriental hotel where the singer jumped to his death - with white roses, lilies and chrysanthemums, along with giant posters of their idol. By late afternoon, the street was overflowing with flowers. At 6pm, a memorial service started at Jardine House opposite the hotel, attracting fans from as far away as Germany, France, Finland, Malaysia and the mainland.
Grace Lam Suk-yee, of the Leslie Legacy Association, said all 1,000 candles they had brought were given out.
"We thought that as time went by, people would forget. But actually some people became fans after Leslie died because they only started paying attention to his artistry then", she said. "This is because his work has substance; it will last."
Dressed mostly in black, the fans observed a minute's silence at 6.41pm, the singer's certified time of death outside the hotel he considered his favourite. The 90-minute ceremony also featured giant television screens playing the star's most famous concerts and movie clips and two violinists playing Cheung's most popular hits.
Ivy Yu, a saleswoman from Hangzhou, travelled to Hong Kong for the tribute. She arrived early, started to leave, "then I found myself wandering back", she said. "I just love him. I only started to learn about him after he died. He was so real, so emotional."
A Finnish woman said Cheung was the reason she came to and married in Hong Kong nine years ago. "I saw his movies and loved them", she said. "He is the reason why I came to Hong Kong. I found my husband because of him. Time doesn't make you forget."
Hu Ziyin, a marketing executive from Zhuhai , said she had been following Cheung's career since she was a child in the 1970s.
"It's not idol-loving but a deep appreciation of his music and artistry", she said, referring to the continuing devotion to the late pop star. Written by Chandra Wong - source: South China Morning Post

Pictures and videoclip of 'Tonight and Forever'! - Videoclip on TVB!

April 3, 2005

Leslie remembered in Beijing on TakungPao. Other news also about 'Inner senses' in China: The Sun, Oriental Daily 1 - 2 - 3, AppleDaily. A sea of flowers in China too!!!!

April 4, 2005

News about 'The Shining Star - In Reminiscence of Leslie's Artistic Life' Seminar' held in Hong Kong on April 3, 2005 on Oriental Daily and The Sun. More news and pictures about events in Leslie's memory on Ent.Sina, 163.com and South China Morning Post.

FLORENCE CHAN'S INTERVIEW FOR SOHU.COM

April 6, 2005

Toby fondly remembers Leslie Cheung as the first man who makes her to blush on Ming Pao Daily and The Sun. According to LeslieTong Florence Chan came out to deny ever making a statement that there will be the release of the full version of the 1989 Final Encounter concert DVD.   

April 9, 2005

'Inner senses' has been screened in Shenzen. News on WenWeiPo, The Sun, AppleDaily on LeslieTong.com. Karena Lam between April 1 and 3 went to Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai to promote 'Inner Senses' with director Law Chi Leung; the film was released more than two years ago in Hong Kong, but now it is finally released in China. April 1 was the anniversary of the lead actor Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing's passing. They promoted in Shenzhen on the that day. Originally the film's poster had terrified looks from Gor Gor and Ka Yun. Because Gor Gor has already passed, the film company replaced it with a poster with Gor Gor's eyes closed. At the premiere, Gor Gor fans were very passionate. Many have already seen the film on counterfeit but still came to support it. The film company at each cinema has also printed a poster with Gor Gor's autograph for fans to win. At the premiere, Gor Gor's songs were played and an empty seat was left for Gor Gor, on which many floral arrangements were placed. Perhaps because Gor Gor has already passed for two years, fans have already accepted the fact of his passing and were not too sad. They also gave flowers, candy, and dolls to Ka Yun and played games with her. The film company also displayed many items that Gor Gor has used for fans. Ka Yun was deeply touched to see how loyal fans were.

click

Visit A NEW PHOTO-ALBUM BY CINDY!!! Many many thanks!!!

April 29, 2005

Poll to choose the top ten favourite Chinese films, favourite actor, favourite actress and favourite director to mark the centennial year of Chinese films - In conjunction with the commemoration of the 100 years of Chinese films, the Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd and the Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co. Ltd together with the Hong Kong Film Awards Association and UA Cinemas will be conducting a poll to choose the top ten all time favourite Chinese films, favourite director and favourite actor and favourite actress. The winning top ten films will be re-screened in the cinemas. Among the 103 films vying for the top ten all time favourite films include the 1947 Mandarin production of 'The Spring River Flows East', 'Infernal Affairs' of 2002, Oscar-winning 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Shaolin Soccer' which was the number one box-office grosser not too long ago. Directing talents from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are in the running for the favourite director category namely Wong Kar-wai, Tsui Hark, Zhang Yimou, Johnny To, Chen Kaige, Wu Yonggang and Hou Hsiao Hsien. Among the 360 actors and actresses on the list for the favourite actor and favourite actress awards include Stephen Chow, Chow Yun Fatt, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Leslie Cheung, Bruce Lee, Andy Lau, Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Josephine Siu, Faye Wong, Bak Suet Sin and Zhang Ziyi. Leslie Cheung with eight of his films in the top 103 films is the forerunner in the actor category whilst Maggie Cheung leads the way in the actress category with seven films in the list. The results and names of all winners of this poll will be announced on 25 May 2005. Source: Oriental Daily, The Sun and WenWeiPo, kindly provided by Simie.
Appeal to fans to vote for Leslie - not just an ordinary vote
You might have been aware that there is a huge development project in Hong Kong (hereafter called "the Project") - The West Kowloon Cultural District, which covers an area of 1,003,278 sq. meter. This is supposedly an "Arts & Cultural" project, so said by the Government. Currently, 3 developers have been qualified for further evaluation. One of them, Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. (????), is now hosting a poll for "Top 10 Most Popular Chinese Films of the Century" in celebration of 100 years of Chinese Films. Voting lasts from April 29 till May 22. Results will be announced on May 25. The top 10 most popular films will be rescreened publicly at UA theatres from June 16 to 30.
The general public can vote for her/his:
1. most favored film amongst the 103 on the list - Leslie has 8 films on the list;
2. most favored director - 66 nominees
3. most favored actor - 222 nominees
4. most favored actress - 142 nominees
Important point to note before voting :
1. "Most favored film" in category A - please kindly consider concentrate voting on "Farewell My Concubine" (no. A55) as this film had obtained more international achievements, and is considered as more artistic which is the very theme of The West Kowloon Cultural District. Please note that concentrating on one film will increase the possibility of being ranked top.
2. "Most favored actor" in category C - Leslie is on no. C117
3. This poll is supposed to be collected from Hong Kong residents only. Yet, we are calling fans worldwide to vote just to give our voices that Leslie is not only loved by Hong Kong residents. So, if you are not residing in HK just go ahead to put the first three digit of your ID (your passport, or any other identity no.) and your phone number.
4. As we can see from the current perspective of the Project, this poll is particularly important for the qualified developers to consider building something specifically dedicated to Leslie in the Project (if "Farewell" ranks top and if Leslie ranks top). So, this is not just an ordinary voting, but could lay a foundation for something that all Leslie fans have been craving for. So, every vote is important.
5. As stated on the voting page, we can vote every 15 minutes, even having the same IP.
The vote can be submitted by the following method:
Please vote on the net: http://artreachapp.hld.com/register/form_vote.asp.
After finished voting on categories A (film), B (director), C (actor) and D (actress), you will see 5 spaces for filling in information: 1st space - simply ignore it; 2nd space - your name; 3rd space - first three digit of your Identity document; 4th space - your phone number; 5th space - just copy the shaded number appears on the left, then submit by clicking the left button.
Please help spread this voting to your friends.

May 2, 2005

Kelly Chan remember Leslie during her concert. Source: SingTao and The Sun.

May 23, 2005

Time Asia selected 'Farewell to my concubine' as one of the best 100 movies in the history of worldwide cinema - Critic Richard Corliss wrote: "Two boys meet as students in a punishing Peking Opera school in the 1920s and remain partners, friends and enemies for 50 years. It’s The Sunshine Boys with screechy singing, and one of the boldest, most beautiful Chinese films in a decade dominated by them. In the 'Concubine' opera that becomes their trademark, stolid Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) plays the emperor, luscious Cheng Dieyi (the late, great Leslie Cheung) the concubine. Yin and yang are the roles they assume offstage as well, as Xiaolou has an affair with a courtesan (Gong Li, the imperious queen of Chinese cinema) and Dieyi flirts with the satrap of the occupying Japanese government. Sexual politics gives way to political horror during the Cultural Revolution, when personal betrayal may be the one way to stay alive. Chen Kaige's stately, volcanic epic was one of the first Mainland films to acknowledge that damage wrought by Maoism. Beyond that, it is a rich dramatization of the venial and mortal betrayals that are the secret, somber melodies of our lives." Source: Time Asia - AppleDaily on Leslietong.com.

May 26, 2005

Leslie Cheung has been voted the most favourite actor in the recent poll held by Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd, Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co. Ltd together with the Hong Kong Film Awards Association and UA Cinemas to mark the centennial year of Chinese films. Five of his films are in the top ten all-time favourite Chinese movies. Top of the list is 'Farewell My Concubine' at no. 1, no 2 is 'Days of Being Wild', no 3 is 'A Better Tomorrow', 'Happy Together' is in no 5 position and 'Rouge' comes in 6th position. The total number of votes received was over 25,000. John Woo has been voted the most favourite director, while Maggie Cheung has been voted as the most favourite actress. The Beloved of Leslie fans is overpowering - Although Leslie Cheung has left this world for two years, his movies are still considered as the most beloved by the audience. To commemorate the centennial birth of the Chinese movies, Henderson Development Company has organized a polling event on the Top Ten Most Popular Chinese Films of the Century. The result was announced yesterday. Leslie Cheung has not only won the title of My Most Favorite Actor, but the number of votes for most of the Actors who has won an award as the Best Actor was greatly outnumbered by that of his. Moreover, the top three favorite movies also belong to his works. Sources: TakungPao, Oriental Daily, SingTao, MingPaoDaily, The Sun, SingPao, IChannel, Apple Daily, South China Morning Post and others on LeslieTong.com - many thanks to Simie, Julie, Karen and Jennifer. More articles on BBC News, TaipeiTimes, LeslieTong.com 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, The Star, AFP, CBC, Associated Press, The Telegraph, Lexington Herald-Leader, Centre Daily Times, Myrtle Beach Online, The Times Leader, Bradenton Herald, ChinaDaily, Xinhuanet, The Advocate, Mercury News, The State, The Sun Herald, Duluth Superior.

June 4, 2005

Leslie Cheung's Japanese fans arriving in Hong Kong in June to lend their support - Although Leslie Cheung has passed on from this world, but he will always live on in the hearts of all his fans. Come July his Japanese fans will hold 2 screenings of the film, 'Days of Being Wild' in Osaka and Tokyo. After July due to copyrights issues, this film will not be able to be screened in Japan in future. Fans of Leslie Cheung in particular Japanese fans have increased in numbers since his demise.  Therefore seminars chaired by special guests, people who have collaborated with Leslie Cheung in the past, either on screen or behind the camera, are being held each month to share their experiences of co-operating with Leslie Cheung with the Japanese fans. Leslie Cheung's Japanese movie fan-club is organizing a group excursion to Hong Kong around mid-June for a show of support at the award presentation and the public screening of Leslie Cheung's five films. The five films which include 'Farewell My Concubine', 'A Better Tomorrow', 'Days of Being Wild', 'Happy Together' and 'Rouge' are in the top ten list in the category of 'My Favourite Films' in a poll held in conjunction with the centennial year of Chinese films with 'Farewell My Concubine' winning 'My Favourite Film'. In addition Leslie Cheung also won in the category of 'My Favourite Actor'. When Leslie Cheung's ex-manager, Ms Florence Chan was asked who would be representing GorGor to receive his award on stage, she replied, "The organizers have issued the invitation to Daffy Tong. It is hoped that he will receive the award on behalf of GorGor but he has yet to confirm if he will be attending the presentation. In my opinion, the overwhelming success of these five films of GorGor as well as winning the favourite actor in this poll for the Centennial Year of Chinese Films is of great significance so I feel Daffy should attend this event." Source: MingPaoWeekly no. 1908 on LeslieTong.com - kindly translated by Simie.

June 5, 2005

Stamp Visuals of "Hong Kong Pop Singers" - To pay tribute to the contributions of our memorable pop star singers, Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Roman Tam, Danny Chan and Wong Ka-kui, to the development of Hong Kong pop music, their remarkable performing scenes will be archived in a set of 5 stamps. This first set of stamps issued under this theme by Hongkong Post would certainly become the most sought-after item. See the stamps: HongKongPost - Issue Date: 8 November 2005 - Advance Order Deadline: 3 October 2005

June 12, 2005

The Centennial Year of Chinese Films organised by Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd, Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co. Ltd together with the Hong Kong Film Awards Association and UA Cinemas - On June 16, 2005 at  8:00 pm award ceremony to be followed by the screening on the Best Movie 'Farewell My Concubine' at Cinema UA at Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong. The award ceremony will only be held at the foyer of the theatre instead of inside the theatre and guests will attend the ceremony by invitation (i.e. press, award winners, sponsors etc.).  More info: UA Pacific Place - UA Langham Place. Schedule of the movies to be screened:

June 16, 2005

Report of the award ceremony from Susanna in HK - Fans started to line up for entering to the theatre by 7:30 pm and we could get a souvenir of a set of 3 postcards on the movie at the box office. The award ceremony started by 8:20 pm and it kicked off by the speech by the Director of the company organizing the poll. Fans were all at the ceremony to support Leslie. Whenever an award was presented to his movies, there was cheerful applause from fans.Ms. Nansun Shi received the award for "A Better Tomorrow" and the son of Tsui Feng for "Farewell My Concubine" and there came big cheers and applause!! After finishing off the 10 most favoured movies, awards were given to the most favoured director, Mr. John Woo, and actress, Maggie Cheung. The M.C. said Maggie requested to have Mr. Wong Ching (the director of her first movie) to receive the award for her, yet, he was not able to make his time to come.
The most important moment came at last, and Ms. Nansun Shi came up to the stage again to receive the "Most Favoured Actor" for Leslie - huge cheers and huge applause!!
Ms. Shi said "Daffy had asked me to say "thank you" to all the fans of Leslie." She then bowed deeply to the audience and tears welled in her eyes. Before she left the stage, she said, "Before I left for the ceremony, Daffy told me again to thank all the fans for the love and support given to Leslie.".
She bowed again, and obviously, she was holding back her tears.
Filled with mixed feelings, fans stayed in silence when listening to Ms. Shi's words and some were having their tissues in their hands wiping tears. The screening of "Farewell My Concubine" started right after the award ceremony.
After all these 12 years, the feeling towards this classic is still strong and touching.
Yes, only legend can stand the test of time and certainly, Leslie, time is the ageless witness of your legacies!!
News on: MingPaoDaily, AppleDaily on LeslieTong.com, The Sun, IChannel, Oriental Daily.

Low Profile Daffy Tong Stayed Away From Award Presentation Ceremony Thanked Fans For Supporting GorGor - In the twinkling of an eye, Leslie Cheung has left us for over two years but the love for him has not dwindled in the hearts of his fans. Last night was the awards presentation ceremony for the ten most favoured films in the centenary of Chinese Cinema poll. At last night's awards presentation ceremony, five of GorGor's films were voted in the top ten most favoured list of movies which includes 'Farewell My Concubine', 'Days Of Being Wild', 'A Better Tomorrow', 'Happy Together' and 'Rouge'. Among the five films, 'Farewell My Concubine' received the highest number of votes to rank number one among the top ten films. Simultaneously GorGor was voted the most favoured actor. Leslie Cheung's ex-manager, Ms Florence Chan revealed that the organisers had originally invited her and Daffy Tong to attend the awards presentation ceremony but unfortunately they were unable to participate in the ceremony so they asked Nansun Shi to accept the award on their behalf. She indicated that Daffy Tong has asked her to convey a message to all GorGor's fans. His absence from the awards presentation ceremony was not an indication that he played down the importance of this event. Rather it was extremely gratifying for him to see the affirmation given to the films that GorGor had made in the past by people within the industry as well as the love and support given to him by all his fans. He declined the invitation to attend the ceremony because of his status as a non-public figure and he is also afraid of facing too many people in a crowded atmosphere. Daffy Tong had intentions for Florence Chan to represent him at the presentation but regrettably there was a conflict in timing as the musical 'Snow Wolf Lake' opens today in Suzhou. Daffy Tong once again thanked fans for their love and support given to GorGor. He believes GorGor would be extremely happy to know he has won the award but regrets that GorGor was not able to receive the award personally. Source: MingPaoWeekly, kindly translated by Simie.

June 18, 2005

GorGor's Song Moved 200 Fans To Tears - The award presentation ceremony for the top ten most favoured films in the poll co-organised by Henderson Artreach to celebrate a centenary of Chinese Cinema took place last night at UA Pacific Place Cinema. This was followed by the screening of the works of the most favoured actor, Leslie Cheung's 'Farewell My Concubine' which attracted the support of nearly 200 fans. The organisers had originally invited Daffy Tong to attend the presentation ceremony as well as to receive the award on behalf of GorGor but Daffy Tong asked Nansun Shi to represent him instead. Through his representative he expressed his thanks to GorGor's fans for their years of continuous support and love given to his beloved as well as their fond memories of him. In addition Daffy Tong also thanked the organisers for presenting this award to GorGor. He also thanked GorGor's fans who have voted for him. Prior to Nansun Shi's acceptance of GorGor's award for the most favoured actor, the organisers played GorGor's song, 'The Wind Blows On'. On hearing this song, the fans that were present at the ceremony were overcome with emotions with their heads bowed in silent tears. Source and pictures: MingPaoDaily and IChannel, kindly translated by Simie. More on LeslieTong.com from MingPaoWeekly n. 1910 and others.

200 Fans Moved To Tears As GorGor Wins Award - Last night Nansun Shi represented GorGor's beloved Daffy Tong to receive the award for the most favoured actor in the centenary of Chinese films poll which was co-organised by Henderson Artreach. The award presentation ceremony was held at UA Pacific Place Cinema. Daffy Tong declined the invitation to attend the presentation ceremony but he expressed his appreciation through Nansun Shi to all fans of Leslie Cheung thanking them for their many years of continuous support given to GorGor. Fighting back her tears, Nansun Shi said, "We are extremely grateful for all your support. Many thanks for your steadfast love and support to Leslie all these years. Last but not least, we would like to thank all friends who have voted for Leslie." The 200 fans that were present at the ceremony were moved to tears when GorGor's golden hit song, 'The Wind Blows Again' was played at the ceremony. Many fans with head bowed were seen sobbing as they fondly remember GorGor Leslie Cheung. Source: The Sun, kindly translated by Simie.

Invited To Represent GorGor At Awards Presentation Ceremony Tong Tong Turned to Sedatives To Combat Insomnia - The awards presentation ceremony for the ten most favoured films in the 100 years of Chinese Cinema took place in the absence of Daffy Tong who was originally invited to represent GorGor to receive the award for the most favoured actor. According to a close friend of Daffy Tong, the event meant a great deal to him but because he is not a public personality, he is extremely uncomfortable with facing the masses. Since receiving the invitation, the anticipation of having to appear in a public function made him exceedingly nervous. A week ago he began to suffer from insomnia and on Tuesday he became so nervous to the extent of requiring sedatives. In addition, GorGor's good friend and ex-manager, Florence Chan, had to leave Hong Kong due to work commitments. Finally Daffy Tong decided to approach Nansun Shi to help him out. Florence Chan said, "Seeing Daffy like this, I don't have the heart to push him. Daffy requested me to convey this message to fans of GorGor, once again he would like to thank everyone for their support and love. He also wished to acknowledge with gratitude the affirmation given to GorGor's works by people within the industry." Florence Chan had to leave Hong Kong on Thursday evening as the musical "Snow Wolf Lake" was due to open in Suzhou on Friday. She said, "I wanted to fly off on Friday morning but there wasn't any direct flight to Suzhou. Besides I would have to catch a coach transfer from Shanghai. The weather lately has not been too good and there are delays to a lot of flights. I was not in a position to help out. If the ceremony was held in the afternoon, I could have represented Daffy at the event. The last evening flight was 8 pm and it was with much regret that I just could not make it." Although this honour and award may seem to have come a bit late for fans of Leslie Cheung, nevertheless Florence Chan said, "I believe if he (GorGor) knows about this, he would be very happy. It was his wish that everyone remembers him." Despite the absence of showbiz celebrities at the award presentation ceremony, the atmosphere was still one of joyful exuberance as there were many fans of Leslie Cheung in attendance. Every time when an award that was related to GorGor was presented, fans cheered loudly and gave a thunderous round of applause. The most touching moment came when the award for the most favoured actor was announced. The song 'The Wind Blows Again' was played prior to the presentation of this award. Fans were overcome with emotions with many weeping silent tears. GorGor's good friend, Nansun Shi, went on stage to accept the award on his behalf. In accepting the award, Nansun Shi said, "Daffy really wanted to come here tonight but it's a bit inconvenient. However he repeatedly reminded me that I must say 'thank you' to all fans." At this point, Nansun Shi bowed to the audience. After the applause died down, she continued, "Thank you for all your love and support given to Leslie through the years and thank you for missing him". The organisers had not planned for fans to be in attendance at the ceremony but fans had bought tickets to the 7.30 pm session of the movie 'Batman Begins' at this cinema in order to be present at the 8 pm award presentation ceremony inside the auditorium to show their support as well as to witness the ceremony personally. It was most touching to see such thoughtfulness and warm sincerity from fans of GorGor. Following the completion of the awards presentation ceremony, the most favoured film 'Farewell My Concubine' was screened. Other award-winning films will also be screened from 16/6 to 27/6. All patrons to the ten most favoured films during this period will receive a set of three postcards of the film as a memento. Source: MingPaoWeekly n. 1910 on LeslieTong.com - many thanks to Susanna and Simie, for her patience and her translation.

July 7, 2005

Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Voted Most Compatible Onscreen Couple - In a recent survey of popular Hong Kong blockbuster hits, Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung were voted as the Most Compatible Onscreen Couple for their roles in 'Happy Together'. The duo commanded 40% of the popular votes that nabbed them the first place title. The second place award went to Maggie Cheung and Tony again for their performance in "In the Mood for Love". The third place trophy was also claimed by Tony for his role alongside Faye Wong in "Chungking Express". The poll was conducted via an online survey of 785 voter participants. Source: Far East Daily on Yahoo! provided by HKVPRadio - many thanks to Simie!

Leslie and Tony Leung in the movie 'Happy Together', voted as the perfect couple in Wong Kai-wai's movies - The vote was one of movie promotions for Wong's recent movie 'Eros' in Korea. The article said the the movie 'Happy Together' take the first place from the vote at a high percentage (40.25%) then the other movies of Wong and it was because the power of Love of Leslie's fans in Korea. The competitors and the result are as below (source by Kyong, many thanks!):

July 16, 2005

Rat race Hong Kong comes to terms with depression - Very few people in Hong Kong recognized depression as an illness until the end of 2003 when popular television actress Victoria Lam openly admitted her condition, which had by then destroyed her career. Vivacious, beautiful and successful, Lam found herself breaking into tears for no apparent reason and locking herself at home for days on end in 2002. She had no idea what was wrong with her until a close friend took her to a psychiatrist. "I didn't want to see anyone. I lost all energy. I wouldn't get out of bed and wouldn't shower for days. Even if a mountain of gold was right there for my taking, I would not even look at it," Lam told Reuters on Friday on the sidelines of a three-day fair to educate the public on the illness. "I felt completely useless and I wanted to die by burning charcoal. But I was too lethargic even to get out of bed and go buy coal," said the 1973 Hong Kong beachwear queen, now 50. In crowded, fast-paced and expensive Hong Kong, where financial success is paramount, depression is a growing problem. There were 1,000 suicides in 2004, up from 915 in 2000. An estimated 70,000 of Hong Kong's nearly seven million people suffer from serious depression, but Lam says one out of every five residents exhibit some form of the illness. Its most famous victim was superstar singer Leslie Cheung, who plunged to his death from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel two years ago. His suicide shocked the world. Silent killer - Experts around the world are still struggling to get the message across that depression is a genuine medical disorder rather than a manifestation of a character flaw. Its causes are still unclear: it appears to be related to stress, but sometimes there are no apparent triggers. Scientists say genes may play a part and they link it to an imbalance of serotonin, a chemical in the brain. Sufferers are treated with antidepressants and "talk therapy." Lam began recovering in 2004 and set up the Joyful Mental Health Foundation to help depression sufferers. "This disease is a killer. We have to tell more people and let them know there is a cure. What happened to Leslie should not have happened," said Lam, who now works full time as a volunteer. The information fair at the sprawling Victoria Park, where psychiatrists were on standby to offer free diagnoses, is the first time depression has been addressed publicly in Hong Kong. One highlight was a laughing contest. Source: Reuters on Yahoo! by Tan Ee Lyn.

July 18, 2005

Capital Artists Ltd for celebrating its 35th anniversary, is going to release memorial stamp for Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung, and will be sold at the annual book fair in HK first.  The 2 memorial stamp sets are of limited edition, only 3,000 copies for each set, they include small stamp sheet, 2 envelops, postcard and a booklet about the life of the artist. As Ah Mui and Gor Gor won the singing contest on Jul 18, 1982, and May 16, 1977 respectively and since then started their career, to commemorate the birth of these 2 great starts, the date chopped on the envelop of 'The Memorial Stamp Collection of Anita Mui, Daughter of Hong Kong' is July 18, and on 'The Memorial Stamp Collection of Leslie Cheung, the Legend' is May 16. News on Mui Music - source Ming Pao Daily, Oriental Daily, The Sun, SingPao, IChannel, Yahoo!, Ming PaoWeekly.

July 20, 2005

Online bidding for GorGor and Anita Mui's commemorative stamps collection. Limited release of 3000 sets - Today is the start of the five-day Hong Kong Book Fair.  It is also the day that many fans of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui have been waiting in eager anticipation because Capital Artists HK in striving towards their 35th anniversary  is releasing a limited 3000 sets of commemorative philately collection of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui at the book fair today in recognition of the two legendary superstars' contribution to the music industry. These collectors items are priced at $200 a set but due to the limited release of only 3000 sets, the stamps collection have become the target of speculators with advance notice of these items being thrown open to bidders on the internet. The minimum online bid reportedly starts at $500 a set. To prevent the unscrupulous actions of profiteers, each individual is only allowed to purchase a maximum of 5 sets according to Capital Artists spokesperson, Ms Chen.  She revealed yesterday many fans made calls to Capital Artists and the newspapers offices to request for an increase in the release of the stamps sets.  Besides this, they have also complained that these commemorative stamps sets are being speculated at high prices by some people because fans who are unable to queue for the purchase of the sets would be tempted to buy them from these illegal merchants thus becoming victims of these unscrupulous agents. Capital Artists warned fans not to fall prey to the tactics of these swindlers. Ms Chan said they were aware of fans who had queued up all through last night; so in order to be fair to everyone, each person will only be allowed to purchase 5 sets.  She said they have another strategy to deal with further profiteering but this would remain a secret for the time being. Ms Chan estimates this batch of commemorative stamps sets to be sold out within a day because of the extremely good response but she emphasized that due to the commemorative value of this promotion, there cannot be a massive release of the sets. She said the book fair at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre today would be crammed with fans of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. Source: MingPaoDaily, Yahoo!, MingPaoWeekly, IChannel - kindly translated by Simie.

July 21, 2005

Newly released souvenir stamps of late Hong Kong pop stars Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui selling for HK$200 (US$25.60) each set are displayed at the Hong Kong Book Fair July 20, 2005. Cheung plunged to his death from a hotel in April 2003 and Mui died of cervical cancer in January 2003. Source Yahoo! - The annual book fair started yesterday. Among all items related to the artistes, the memorial stamp sets of late super stars Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung sold the best, and even in Internet and at Sino, they already being sold at higher price.
Though the official opening hour for the book fair is 9:00am, at 8:30am fans already queued there. The working staff said till around 4:00p.m., 1, 900 copies were sold for each set. One in queue said he was buying for a Japanese friend who likes Gor Gor. Another one said she was buying for a friend in US.  Some fans said the stamp sets already being sold at higher price in the internet, so they rushed to the fair yesterday. The reporter also found that Ah Mui's previous stamp set was selling up to HK$450. CA spokesperson said: "Fans said at Sino the stamp set is selling at HK$500. This is not so good, we don't encourage that, that's why each person is limited to buy 5 sets". Source: Mui Music - The Sun - OrientalDaily - SingPao - SingTao - Yahoo! - WenWeiPo.

August 4, 2005

THIS IS THE GREATEST LIE OF THE CENTURY!

Andy gets inspiration for new song from Leslie and Anita - Andy Lau says that while he wrote the lyrics in his new song, inspiration came from the deaths of Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung. He told this reporters as he's traveling through Taiwan promoting his latest Mandarin record. "Leslie and I knew each other before we were popular. When both he and Anita left, I realized how important friends were. This song reminds me and my fans that we need to learn to cherish others." Source: MingPaoDaily and HKVPRadio.

August 6, 2005

LOVING LESLIE: A TRIBUTE TO LESLIE CHEUNG BY ASIAN FILM FOUNDATION

Tribute to Leslie - September 10, 2005 - Los Angeles - Asian Film Foundation and USC Cinema & Television (Critical Studies), in association with Miramax Films, Maggi Taste of Asia, and Tai Seng Entertainment are proud to present 'Loving Leslie: A Tribute to Leslie Cheung', featuring the films of one of Hong Kong's most beloved icons on Saturday, September 10. This event will also feature Leslie memorabilia for sale including DVDs sponsored by Five Star Laser and autographed by John Woo, plus posters, books and other collector's items. Proceeds will directly benefit one of Leslie's favorite charities, End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation (ECSAF). Handsome and sexually ambiguous with a consummate cool, Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing quietly challenged conventional mores and titillated film and music fans worldwide. His uncompromising work ethic, 56 films in 20 years, record-holding 100 concerts held at the Hong Kong Coliseum, built legions of devoted supporters who will never get over the shock of his untimely loss in 2003. His place is eternally cemented in the cinematic and cultural landscape of his time. Leslie is the stuff of many legends. A soul that will never die.
Join us on Saturday, September 10, to celebrate the work of this gifted young man by enjoying two of his best films, the smart and sexy 'Okinawa Rendez-vous' directed by Gordan Chan ('Fist of Legend', 'Beast Cops') and Chen Kaige's masterful epic, 'Farewell My Concubine'.
It is a gift to be beautiful and there was no one more beautiful than Leslie. We mourn his passing and invite you to bask in the gifts of his talents: the films, the music and those unyielding red dancing shoes. Celebrating the best of Leslie is celebrating the best that life has to offer!

'Okinawa Rendez-vous' (2000) - A smart and sexy romantic comedy, Okinawa Rendez-vous starts out like lazy summer fluff, but with its gorgeous, all-star cast this souffle is finally very satisfying indeed. Tony Leung Ka-fai is Dat, a bewildered, frustrated police file clerk yearning for a chance to make a name for himself in the department and to escape his mundane relationship with his long-suffering girlfriend (played by the lovely Gigi Lai). He gets his break while vacationing in Okinawa, when he spots an international thief (the suave Leslie Cheung) who has just stoken a Yakuza's personal diary and is waiting for his cash to surface. Both men meet up with Faye Wong, a mysterious but hauntingly beautiful barkeep who happens to have a duffel bag full of cash. While the subtitles sometimes miss the mark in capturing their nuanced performances, the exchanges between Tony (at his wackiest) and the highly charismatic Cheung are not to be missed.

"Marvelous location, guileless performances...a breezy, summer comedy with no pretensions."
—Kozo, LoveHKFilm.com
"Okinawa is a nonchalant gangster noir that goes out of its way to avoid the slam-bang cliches of the Hong Kong movie, the gunfire barrages and fight choreography."
—Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

'Farewell My Concubine' (1993) - What has been said about this sweeping historical epic is all true - ambitious, lavish, shocking and masterful. Spanning 53 years of China's history, 'Farewell to My Concubine' is the intimate story of boyhood friends who endure brutal apprenticeship to become world famous Peking Opera stars by playing the male and female leads onstage. Their hardships and tumultuous relationship parallel the changing politics and culture of a China giving birth to a new nation.
Leslie Cheung is bewitching as the delicate Douzi, who must hide his homosexual obsession for the older, masculine Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) by becoming his most famous character: A concubine who would rather slit her own throat than leave her king upon his dethronement. The two friends are inseparable until the oblivious Xiaolou takes a former prostitute (played by the luminous Gong Li) as his wife.

"A vastly entertaining movie. Sink into it with pleasure and count it a cultural achievement."
—Vincent Canby, The New York Times
"Visual splendor...emotionally comprehensible. This is one of the year's best films."
—Roger Ebert, Chicago-Sun Times
"A thrilling love story, a political epic and an intimate character study rolled into one stunning package. If you've never seen a non-English language film before, find this one. It's just that good."
—Scott Renshaw, Stanford University

Venue: USC University Park Campus, Eileen Norris Theatre, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles

Special thanks to USC Cinema & Television (Critical Studies), Miramax Films, Maggi Taste of Asia, Tai Seng Entertainment, DrunkenMaster.tv, End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation (ECSAF), Five Star Laser, Leslie Legacy Association (LLA), Ann Broecker, Anita Chan, David Chute, Hong Kong Vintage Pop Radio, Nadia Guidetti, HKEntReview.com, Eunice Hui, Chen Kaige, Jeannie Kang, Andy Klein, Dana Knowles, Jhemon Lee, Susanna Leung, Tara McPherson, Lisa Morton, Julie Ng, Phoenix Ng, LoveHKFilm.com, Parc Langdon, Susanna Leung, Brittany Philion, Jon Soo, Etchie Stroh, John Woo, Ashley Yao, and our community supporters Asian Professional Exchange (APEX), Click2Asia, LAFun.org, Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-GLA), Project by Project Southern California, USC Asian Pacific Alumni Programs (APAA) and Young Generation Asian Professionals (YGAP). Plus, all the wonderful Leslie Cheung fans who spent time researching and contributing material to this event—our deepest gratitude.

Leslie Legacy Association (LLA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to ensure fair and equal treatment of Leslie's legacy in all forms. From candlelight vigils, film screenings, charity drives, appealing to government and the entertainment industry to grant Leslie his own star on the Avenue of Stars (which they succeeded), to lobbying major publishers from distributing inflammatory and distorted information on Leslie's life— this organization is a force to be reckon with. Local chapters in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the United States... and growing.

Download flyer of the event in English and Chinese!!!!

August 15, 2005

Derek Yee talked about the "3 Cheungs": Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung and Cecilia Cheung. Source: Leslietong.com, many thanks to Simie! Derek Yee - Leslie Cheung was afraid of heights - On Leslie Cheung, Derek Yee said, "I started to collaborate with him from 'Viva Erotica' onwards.  After this came 'Double Tap' and 'Inner Senses'.  What happened to him made me realised something.  When he was working on my films, he was a constant comfort to everyone.  He had said to me many times, "Director, please don't be so tense.  Nothing is a big deal."  I thought he was over everything, was stress free and he couldn't care less how the outside world perceive him but in reality his innermost feelings were not  like this at all.  I knew he was not well.  A week before his suicide, I had spoken to him on the telephone.  I could not detect anything unusual about him.  He was afraid of heights.  During the filming of 'Inner Senses', he was required to jump off a building.  The scene was on the rooftop of a 19-storey building which has no surrounding walls.  The cameras were rolling for about an hour or more.  He was tied to a rope and I was holding him on the side. He was to take a step forward and stand on the edge and still he was afraid to do it.  How could this thing happen to him...?

August 17, 2005

Interview with Hsu Feng - She said as a producer, the work she was most satisfied with was the film 'Farewell My Concubine'.  The reporter asked what made her chose Leslie for this film.  Her reply was: "Actually after I had bought the novel, I knew that Cheung Kwok Wing was the perfect candidate.  I feel that there was a gentle beauty in his facial profile.  He was also very earnest.  Prior to the shooting of the film, he could not speak Mandarin and had no knowledge of Beijing Opera but when filming commenced, he was able to speak Mandarin beautifully and had excelled in the body poses of Beijing Opera through his diligent drills.  He is an actor with a very rare talent!" Source: Leslietong.com kindly translated by Simie!

August 23, 2005

Leslie Cheung's birthday - Tomson Group and Madame Tussauds sponsor Farewell My Concubine Art Exhibition - Among Leslie Cheung's works, 'Farewell My Concubine' is regarded as his representative piece. Earlier in an election to celebrate the centennial year of Chinese films, this film was listed among the top 100 films. In Hong Kong it was voted as the most loved film in a public poll. Regrettably despite attaining great honours at international film festivals, the film was never well received at all the major film awards presentations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China for various reasons. Despite his exquisite performance in this film Leslie Cheung failed to win any kind of individual award. Therefore on GorGor's birthday on 12 September, his fans decided to hold the Farewell My Concubine Art Exhibition. It is hoped that through the exhibition visitors will be able to learn more about this classic work of GorGor and the art of Beijing Opera. Each year on September 12, fans of GorGor would organise various activities to commemorate his birthday. This year his fans have chosen to hold the 'Farewell My Concubine Art Exhibition' at the Exhibition Gallery, 4^th floor Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui from 9 September to 12 September. The Tomson Group and Madame Tussauds HK strongly support this exhibition by providing GorGor's wax statue as well as art exhibits to be displayed at the exhibition. Representatives from the two organisations will be present at the official opening ceremony of the exhibition on 9 September. A lot of thoughts have gone into the planning of this exhibition. There will be a reconstruction of the opera stage on which GorGor performed Beijing opera. Also with the assistance from the Tomson Group together with the necessary research and information, they will be recreating movie props such as make-up table, the mirror on the make-up table, chairs in the make-up room and the folding screen. In addition the fans have also invited Beijing Opera costume-maker to reproduce the costumes and accessories worn by GorGor in 'Farewell My Concubine'. Movie sets, props, costumes will be on display at the exhibition. GorGor's wax statue in the image of Cheng Dieyi will grace the opera stage once again to charm visitors with his elegance demeanour. In addition, there will also be a display of movie relics and artefacts, an introduction to Beijing Opera as well as videos showing the making of Beijing Opera. The Tomson Group has provided an extensive supply of cultural relics including many behind-the-scene photos and promotional publications in many languages. All these materials will also be on display. 'Farewell My Concubine' souvenirs will be on sale to members and all proceeds from the sale of the souvenirs go to the operational fund for the exhibition. Farewell My Concubine Art Exhibition will be held not only in Hong Kong but there are plans to hold this exhibition in other countries for example first in Japan and then followed by a world tour. Fans hope the exhibition can be held in Mainland China in 2008 because this year marks the 15^th anniversary of 'Farewell My Concubine'. Spokesperson for Tomson Group, Ms Wong said, "Thank you to the fans of GorGor for supporting him and this film all along. I will try to accommodate their requirements as much possible. Originally they had wished to borrow the award for display but the award is with director Chen Kaige so it is not possible to get it."Fans also hope there could be a screening of 'Farewell My Concubine' during the exhibition. This request is now under consideration. Meanwhile 400 fans from all over the world will gather at the South China Athletic Association to celebrate GorGor's birthday because this was the place where he often came to play badminton during his lifetime so they decided to hold the birthday banquet at this venue. The response for the birthday party has been overwhelming. It is believed all 27 tables for the birthday banquet were fully booked within a day. Source: SingPao - kindly translated by Simie.

August 26, 2005

Remembering Leslie - It has been two years since Leslie Cheung's death. For fans, the passing of time has not lessened the anguish and emptiness they feel inside. To keep his memory alive and bring together all who love the singer-actor, a group of ardent fans will be holding a tribute to the late artiste on Sept 12. A Date with 912 was first held last year and received overwhelming response. This year, the event will again be held at The Garden Ballroom, Melia Hotel, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, at 8pm. Admission is free. A counter will be set up at the Mezzanine Floor, Melia Hotel for fans to collect their tickets. Collection dates and times are: tomorrow (3pm - 5pm), Sunday (noon - 2pm) and Aug 31 (2pm - 4pm). Only 100 tickets will be given out daily. Ticket collection is limited to one ticket per person on a first-come-first-served basis. Source: Star - many thanks to Simie.

August 30, 2005

China has honoured movie stars Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat and classic films such as 'Fists of Fury' and 'A Better Tomorrow' in a commemorative stamp collection marking 100 years of Chinese cinema. Hong Kong actor Chow, who has been focusing on his Hollywood career, was quoted as saying he is pleased by his selection because he has not made any Chinese films recently. Among the other 128 honoured stars were Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Cecilia Cheung, and the late Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung. Source: AppleDaily, Oriental Daily, The Sun - kindly translated by Simie.

128 film stars on stamp - To mark the centennial of Chinese films, the State Post Bureau of China has issued a limited edition set of stamps of classic films and actors on Monday. The stamps will feature128 film stars from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan including Bruce Lee, Leslie Cheung and Andy Lau. Young actress Cecilia Cheung has also been chosen to join the line-up. Films such as 'Hero', 'Farewell My Concubine','Red Sorghum' and 'Happy Together' will also be commemorated on the stamps. The stamps will be sold at a price of 25 Yuan for each set. Movie pictures and portrait photos as well as a brief introduction to the stars will be printed on the stamps. Source: Xinhua - many thanks to Karen.

China launches stamps on Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan - China has honoured movie stars Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat and classic films such as 'Fists of Fury' and 'A Better Tomorrow' in a commemorative stamp collection marking 100 years of Chinese cinema, media reports said today. Hong Kong actor Chow, who has been focusing on his Hollywood career, was quoted as saying he is pleased by his selection because he hasn't made any Chinese films recently. "It's been a long time since I had a Chinese-language movie show in the Mainland, but everyone still remembers me. Thanks for giving face," Chow said, according to the 'Apple Daily'. Chow is slated to appear in director Ann Hui's upcoming Chinese film 'My Aunt's Post-Modern Life'. Among the other 128 honoured stars were Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Cecilia Cheung, and the late Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung, the newspaper said. Oscar-nominated 'Farewell My Concubine', 'Hero', 'Happy Together' and 'Infernal Affairs' were among the films saluted. The stamp collection was officially launched by the Chinese postal service at a ceremony in Beijing yesterday attended by Chinese actor Yu Xiang and actress Ning Jing, the official Xinhua news agency said on its web site. The stamps bear production shots of the stars and come with their biographies, the report said. Source: ExpressIndia - many thanks to Karen.

September 2, 2005

Fans hold 'Farewell My Concubine' Art Exhibition to celebrate GorGor's 49^th birthday - Leslie Cheung's fan club, RED Mission will hold the 'Farewell My Concubine' Art Exhibition to celebrate GorGor's 49^th birthday and also to celebrate the many honours bestowed upon his artistic masterpiece 'Farewell My Concubine' recently.  The 4-day exhibition opens next Friday and will run from 9 September to 12 September at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Exhibits on display include movie sets, props, costumes, behind the scene movie photos, movie relics and artefacts. GorGor's wax statue dressed up as Cheng Deiyi will be transferred from the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum at The Peak to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for display at the venue hall. Source: MingPao, WenWeiPo and TakungPao kindly translated by Simie

next - back - back to the Legend - contents page - home