Video Out

Matinee Idol

French Version MATINEE IDOL is an homage to Wu Chu-Fan (1911-1993), a famous Cantonese (Chinese) actor from the 30 s in Hong Kong. Well-known in Cantonese cinema and crowned as the King of the Movies in South China, Wu is virtually unheard of outside the Southern provinces as well as the rest of the world. An actor and filmmaker, Wu was best remembered for his portrayal of the everyday man. After his retirement, Wu immigrated to Canada in the late 1980 s, and died in Ottawa. While in the Hollywood cinema many deceased stars often attained legendary status, the Hong Kong cinema, despite its entrepreneurism, has done little to preserve the history as film is viewed only as entertainment. Using Wu as both an iconic and a symbolic figure, the video will look at the cultural difference betwenn the East and the West and the idea of man .