The Left, Right and Middle in the Hong Kong Film Industry during the Cold War Era

The ideological tug-of-war between Nationalist Taiwan and Communist China was a distinguishing mark of Cold War politics in post-World War 2 Hong Kong, the repercussions of which were most strongly felt in the social and cultural life of the colonial city. During the 1950s and 1960s, the film industry in Hong Kong was a site of contestation between different political interests, while distinctive forms of cultural politics took shape as film studios and practitioners at all levels were drawn into an ideological battle that eventually materialized into overt institutional interference. This presentation will look into the conditions of film production and exhibition in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s. It will examine the business and production strategies of the left-wing studios as well as film exhibition practices to shed light on the complex and overlapping territories of the left, right, and middle in the local film industry during the Cold War era.