Hsu Feng (born 17 December 1950) is a
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
ese-born actress and film producer. In the 1970s she was one of the leading actresses of the cinemas of Hong Kong and Taiwan, particularly known for her roles in
wuxia
( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...
films and her work with director
King Hu
Hu Jinquan (29 April 1932 – 14 January 1997), better known as King Hu, was a Chinese film director and actor based in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He is best known for directing various ''wuxia'' films in the 1960s and 1970s, which brought Hong Kong ...
. In 1981 she retired from her career as an actress, but a few years later she returned to the film industry as a producer and went on to produce several award-winning movies. Among them was
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige (; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema.Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews wit ...
's ''
Farewell My Concubine'', which won the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
(1993) and the
BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language
The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 36th British Academy Film Awards, rec ...
(1994) and was nominated for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and a
César for best foreign film as well.
Early life
Feng was born in Taiwan. Her father was originally from
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
and her mother from
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
.
Her father died when she was 6 and her mother remarried. Feng later became the oldest sister of three half siblings.
She got her start in film as a means of financially supporting her poor family.
Feng answered a casting ad at age 15, which led to a minor role in King Hu's film ''
Dragon Gate Inn
''Dragon Inn'' (, also known as ''Dragon Gate Inn'') is a 1967 Taiwanese ''wuxia'' film written and directed by King Hu. The film was remade in 1992, as ''New Dragon Gate Inn'', and again in 2011 as '' The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate''.
Plot
Tsao ...
'' (1967).
In part, the role led to a six-year contract with the Union Film Company, and away from factory work.
Career
Acting
About two years later after her small role in ''Dragon Gate Inn'' at the age of 19 she got a leading part in King Hu's classic martial arts epos ''
A Touch of Zen
''A Touch of Zen'' (Chinese: ä¿ å¥³) is a 1971 ''wuxia'' film co-edited, written, and directed by film maker King Hu. Its screenplay is based on a classic Chinese story "Xianü (short story), Xianü" in the book ''Strange Stories from a Chinese ...
'' (1971). She played the daughter of general Yang, who had to flee the capital after her father was murdered by assassins of the imperial eunuch Wei. Her performance was later described by the film critic
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects.
He was the former editor-in-chief of ''Film Comment' ...
(''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'') as the screen's gravest, most ravishing woman warrior.
''A Touch of Zen'' later also changed Hsu's outlook on films. Originally she just viewed them simply as a commercial product and means to earn living, but after traveling with King Hu to the
Cannes Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
to represent ''A Touch of Zen'', she started to regard films as an art form as well.
While ''A Touch of Zen'' (1971) was still in post production, Hsu starred in another film called ''Ten Days in Dragon City'' (1969) for which she received the
Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer
Golden means made of, or relating to gold.
Golden may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall
*Golden Cap, Dorset
*Golden Square, Soho, London
*Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
She continued to collaborate with King Hu in a string of films. In ''The Fate of Lee Khan'' (1973), ''The Valiant Ones'' (1975) and ''
Raining in the Mountain
''Raining in the Mountain'' () is a 1979 film written and directed by King Hu. The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 52nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Synopsis
The story of ...
'' (1979) she was portraying martial artists again and for her role in the ghost story ''
Legend of the Mountain
''Legend of the Mountain'' ( zh, t=å±±ä¸å‚³å¥‡, s=å±±ä¸ä¼ 奇, first=t, w=Shan-chung ch'uan-ch'i) is a 1979 Taiwanese-Hong Kong film directed by King Hu.
Plot
Ho, a young scholar, is responsible for translating Buddhist sutras which are said t ...
'' (1979) she received a nomination for the
Golden Horse Award for Best Actress
The Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress is given at the Golden Horse Film Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Gove ...
.
She won the Golden Horse Award as best actress twice for her performances in ''Assassin'' (1976) and ''The Pioneers'' (1980).
Producing
After resigning from her career as an actress in 1981 and a hiatus from the film industry in general, Hsu embarked on a career as producer. She set up her own production company ''Tomson Films'' in 1983
and specialized primarily on the production of artistic films. Among others she produced
''Red Dust'' (1990), ''Five Girls and a Rope'' (1992),
''Farewell, My Concubine'' (1993),
Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker
''Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker'' () is a 1994 film directed by He Ping and starring Ning Jing, Wu Gang, Zhao Xiaorui, Gao Yang, Xu Zhengyun and Zhao Liang.
Plot
A young woman inherits her father's fireworks factory, as he had no s ...
(1994) and ''
Temptress Moon
''Temptress Moon'' is a 1996 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige. It was jointly produced by the Shanghai Film Studio and the Taipei-based Tomson Films. The film saw Chen reuniting with Leslie Cheung and Gong Li who had previously worked with him ...
'' (1996). For ''Red Dust'' she received the Golden Horse Award for the best film. ''Farewell, My Concubine'' and ''Temptress Moon'' were both directed by
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige (; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema.Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews wit ...
and became international successes. In particular the former received several international awards among them the Palme d'Or (1993), the
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
(1993) and
BAFTA (1994) Awards for best foreign film.
Other work
Hsu served as a member of the jury at the
44th Berlin International Film Festival
The 44th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 10 to 21 February 1994. The Golden Bear was awarded to British-Irish film ''In the Name of the Father'' directed by Jim Sheridan. The retrospective dedicated to Austrian director, ...
in 1994
and at the
61st Venice International Film Festival
The 61st annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 1 and 11 September 2004. The festival opened with Steven Spielberg's ''The Terminal'', and closed with Katsuhiro Otomo's '' Steamboy''. The Golden Lion was awarded to the film ' ...
in 2004.
2017 she was awarded a Golden Horse lifetime award for her contributions to Taiwanese cinema.
In Shanghai she oversaw the construction of the ''Tomson Shanghai International Club'' luxury complex.
After the death of her husband in 2004 she took over the management of his business ventures.
[Daw-Ming Lee: ''Historical Dictionary of Taiwan Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2012, , pp. 199-202]
Personal life
In 1976, Hsu married Chinese businessman
Tong Cun-lin, with whom she has two sons. At the request of her husband she withdrew from acting in the early 1980s and started to work for her husband's business venture.
Filmography
Actress
* 1967: ''
Dragon Gate Inn
''Dragon Inn'' (, also known as ''Dragon Gate Inn'') is a 1967 Taiwanese ''wuxia'' film written and directed by King Hu. The film was remade in 1992, as ''New Dragon Gate Inn'', and again in 2011 as '' The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate''.
Plot
Tsao ...
''
* 1969: ''City Called Dragon'' / ''Ten Days in Dragon City''
* 1971: ''The Invincible Sword''
* 1971: ''
A Touch of Zen
''A Touch of Zen'' (Chinese: ä¿ å¥³) is a 1971 ''wuxia'' film co-edited, written, and directed by film maker King Hu. Its screenplay is based on a classic Chinese story "Xianü (short story), Xianü" in the book ''Strange Stories from a Chinese ...
''
* 1973: ''White Butterfly Killer''
* 1973: ''Win Them All''
* 1973: ''End of the Black''
* 1973: ''The Fate of Lee Khan''
* 1973: ''My Wife, My Love And My Maid''
* 1974: ''First Come, First Love''
* 1974: ''The Looks of Hong Kong''
* 1974: ''Dragon Fury''
* 1974: ''
Chase Step by Step''
* 1974: ''Sex, Love and Hate''
* 1974: ''Everlasting Glory''
* 1975: ''Chinese Amazons''
* 1975: ''Dragon Gate''
* 1975: ''Great Hunter''
* 1975: ''Shaolin Disciples''
* 1975: ''
Eight Hundred Heroes
''Eight Hundred Heroes'' () is a 1976 Taiwanese historical war drama film directed by Ting Shan-hsi about the Defense of Sihang Warehouse in 1937 Shanghai, China. The film was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film a ...
''
* 1975: ''The Valiant Ones''
* 1976: ''A Saturday Date''
* 1976: ''Assassin''
* 1976: ''Seven Spirit Pagoda''
* 1976: ''Love in the Twilight Zone''
* 1976: ''A Residence in the Mountains''
* 1977: ''Pai Yu-Ching''
* 1977: ''The Chivalry, the Gunman and Killer''
* 1977: ''The Greatest Plot''
* 1977: ''
The Face Behind The Mask''
* 1977: ''Woman of the Hour''
* 1977: ''Deadly Silver Spear''
* 1977: ''To Kill with Intrigue''
* 1977: ''Shaolin Kung Fu Mystagogue''
* 1979: ''The Battle of Ku-ning-tou''
* 1979: ''
Raining in the Mountain
''Raining in the Mountain'' () is a 1979 film written and directed by King Hu. The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 52nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Synopsis
The story of ...
''
* 1979: ''
Legend of the Mountain
''Legend of the Mountain'' ( zh, t=å±±ä¸å‚³å¥‡, s=å±±ä¸ä¼ 奇, first=t, w=Shan-chung ch'uan-ch'i) is a 1979 Taiwanese-Hong Kong film directed by King Hu.
Plot
Ho, a young scholar, is responsible for translating Buddhist sutras which are said t ...
''
* 1980: ''Mr. Kwong Tung and the Robber''
* 1980: ''Magnificent 72''
* 1980: ''The Lost Kung Fu Secrets''
* 1980: ''The Revenger''
* 1980: ''Eight Escorts''
* 1980: ''The Pioneers''
* 1981: ''The Last Duel''
Producer
* 1976: ''A Residence in the Mountains''
* 1985: ''Funny Face''
* 1985: ''The Young and Old Wanderers''
* 1986: ''Young Dragons - Kung Fu Kids''
* 1986: ''The Woman of Wrath''
* 1986: ''Young Dragons - Kung Fu Kids II''
* 1986: ''Spring Outside of the Fence)''
* 1987: ''The Game They Called Sex''
* 1987: ''Young Dragons - Kung Fu Kids III''
* 1988: ''Kung Fu Kids Part V: The Adventure of Kung Fu Kids''
* 1988: ''My Dream Is Yours''
* 1989: ''Kung Fu Kids Part VI: Enter the Young Dragon''
* 1990: ''
Red Dust''
* 1992: ''Five Girls and a Rope''
* 1992: ''Let Me Speak Up''
* 1993: ''
Farewell My Concubine''
* 1996: ''
Temptress Moon
''Temptress Moon'' is a 1996 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige. It was jointly produced by the Shanghai Film Studio and the Taipei-based Tomson Films. The film saw Chen reuniting with Leslie Cheung and Gong Li who had previously worked with him ...
''
* 2004: ''
Shanghai Story
''Shanghai Story'' () is a 2004 Chinese film directed by Peng Xiaolian. A family drama, the film was the surprise winner of the 19th Golden Rooster Awards in China, where it won best picture over the heavily favored ''House of Flying Daggers''. Th ...
''
References
[Joan Dupont]
''For Hsu Feng, Films of Her Homeland Are a Passion : Tribute to a Chinese Producer''
In New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
of 1998-5-23
[Richard Corliss]
''A Touch of Zen''
- The 100 alltime best movies selection of the Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
[Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Clara Wing-chung Ho: ''Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women'' - Volume 2. M. E. Sharpe 2003, , pp. 231-233 ()]
Further reading
* Yingjin Zhang, Zhiwei Xiao: ''Encyclopedia of Chinese Film''. Taylor & Francis, 1998, , p. 191 ()
* Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Clara Wing-chung Ho: ''Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women'', Volume 2. M. E. Sharpe 2003, , pp. 231–233 ()
* Joan Dupont
"For Hsu Feng, Films of Her Homeland Are a Passion: Tribute to a Chinese Producer" ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 1998-5-23
"Hsu Feng, Swordwoman Forever"€”Hsu Feng's biography at Tomson Films (retrieved 2009-9-27)
* Lily Tung
''AsiaWeek'', CNN, 1998-4-9
External links
*
''Hsu Feng''at the Hong Kong Movie Database
at asiepassion.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hsu, Feng
1951 births
Living people
Taiwanese film producers
Taiwanese film actresses
Asian film producers
20th-century Taiwanese actresses
Actresses from Taipei
Businesspeople from Taipei
Filmmakers who won the Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Award