Source:

04-01-2008 18:42

Andrew Lau Wai-Keung

Andrew Lau Wai-Keung (Hong Kong) 
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung (Hong Kong) 

Hong Kong

Andrew Lau Wai-Keung was born in Hong Kong in 1960 and has been fond of photography since childhood. In 1980, when he graduated from secondary-school, he joined Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) Limited.

His film career began when he participated as a semi-skilled worker assisting the cinematographer in the filming of Legendary Weapons of China, directed by Chia-Liang Liu.

In 1985, Lau was the cinematographer of Mr. Vampire , followed by films such as City on Fire , As Tears Go By, News Attack and Mr. Vampire 3 . As a cinematographer he was adept at capturing the rhythm of the city. He has recently been recognized for his loose style in capturing natural light, using dynamic camera movements.

His directorial debut came in 1991 with Against All , but he didn't give up cinematography. Films such as such as Rhythm of Destiny , To Live and Die in Tsimshatsui , Ghost Lantern and Mean Street Story in Hong Kong marked him as a productive director .

In 1995, Lau established B.O.B. and Partners Limited Company (Hong Kong) jointly with Manfred Wong and Jing Wong. The company's first film was Young and Dangerous , a box-office hit. Over the next three years, seven films of the Young and Dangerous series were produced.

Lau was the first director to combine martial arts with computer-animated special effects on the movie screen in Hong Kong with acclaimed films such as The Storm Riders , A Man Called Hero , The Legend of Speed , The Duel (Juezhan zijin zhidian) , The Avenging Fist , and The Wesley's Mysterious File . In 1998, The Storm Riders was a big box-office hit. Other films such as Sausalito , Dance of a Dream and Women from Mars have further cemented Lau's reputation as a film-maker.

In 2002, Lau established Basic Pictures Limited and Base Production Limited, which started out with the blockbuster movie Infernal Affairs, featuring stars such as Andy Lau, Leung, Chiu Wai Tony, Eric Tsang, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chen Wai Lam, Kelly and Cheng Sau-Man, Sammi. This film was the number one box-office hit in Hong Kong that year, breaking several box office records. The film also won many Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture, Best Directors, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor. Infernal Affairs also went on to win awards at the 40 th Golden Horse Awards and the Golden Bauhinia Awards. Based on this success, the comedy Cat and Mouse and the films Infernal Affairs II and Infernal Affairs III were produced.

In 2004, Lau and his partners worked on another blockbuster, Initial D , a film adapted from a Japanese cartoon that was shot in Japan and released in Hong Kong. It was another successful film, winning multiple awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan