Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung Chiu-wai adds yet another feather to his cap. The actor received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 80th Venice Film Festival on September 2. Leung became the first actor from Hong Kong and the third Hong Kong artist to bag this feat after directors Ann Hui and John Woo.
Leung was in joyful tears as he received the award and was given a two-minute standing ovation by those in attendance. Director Ang Lee, whom Leung worked with for the film, Lust, Caution, handed him the award.
Venice Film Festival honours Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung
“I am so grateful to have been raised in Hong Kong as well as being nurtured by the Hong Kong movie industry in general, where my acting career began,” Leung said as he brushed away tears. He also thanked his wife, Carina Lau and the “wonderful people (he) worked with over the past 41 years”. The 61-year-old actor added that the win is a tribute to them as well as to Hong Kong cinema.
For the unversed, three of Leung’s films previously received the Venice Golden Lion Award, the highest prize at the festival. These include A City of Sadness, Cyclo and Lust, Caution.
Prior, Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera hailed Leung as “a charismatic performer” with an exceptional transitional career. Barbera added, “Not only have Tony Leung’s roles spanned a great variety of genres, but they also have bridged television, popular culture and art-cinema at different latitudes”.
Leung will be seen next in The Goldfinger opposite Andy Lau later this year. He will also star in a new film by director Ildiko Enyedi.
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An outpouring of congratulations
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, congratulated the superstar in March. He also praised his “exquisite acting skills”. Yeung mentioned that the actor’s “endless pursuit of a higher level of artistic performance over the past few decades is an exemplar of Hong Kong actors’ spirit and Hong Kong’s cultural richness”.
Tony Leung has proved his acting mettle in many films, including In the Mood for Love, Happy Together as well as Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He has previously won the Best Actor accolade at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival. Furthermore, he bagged the ‘Asian Filmmaker of the Year’ recognition at the 27th Busan International Film Festival.
Recently, Tony Leung won his second AFA Best Actor prize for Where the Wind Blows. He also picked up an award for Asian Film Contribution at the 16th Asian Film Awards.
(Hero and feature image credits: tonyleung_official/ Instagram)
Kriti Nayyar
Digital writer, Wellness, Culture, Astrology, Tech
Kriti is a stay-at-home dog mama, whose knack for telling interesting stories keeps her erstwhile monotonous life sane. A literature & journalism degree holder, you'll find her binging on Agatha Christie novels while critiquing the everyday state of affairs. On Kriti's seldom social outings, she's seen devouring coffee sangria with appetizing bread on the side.
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