Lai Man-Wai

Lai Man-Wai , now known as ''Father of Hong Kong Cinema'', was the of the first Hong Kong ''Zhuangzi Tests His Wife'' in 1913. Note that in the movie, Lai played the role of the wife himself, partly due to the reluctance of women to participate in show business at that time.

Biography

Born in Japan and raised in Hong Kong, he joined Kuomintang party in 1911 and helped make anti-warlord movies. He was an active director during the golden years of the Shanghai movie industry from 1921 to 1928. In 1923, he founded the in Hong Kong which later relocated to Shanghai. By 1930, he co-founded one of the giant studios of the 1930s, Lianhua Film Company with Law Ming-yau. In 1938, he returned to Hong Kong and retired.

Memory

His story was documented in ''Lai Man-wai: Father of Hong Kong Cinema'' by Choi Kai-kwong in 2001.



Lai Man-Wai is portrayed in Stanley Kwan's 1992 biopic of actress Ruan Lingyu, ''Centre Stage'' by Hong Kong actor, Waise Lee.

Miscellaneous

He was the grandfather of Hong Kong actress Gigi Lai and the father of another Hong Kong actress