About

Maggie Cheung is one of Hong Kong cinema’s most iconic stars. Celebrated internationally for her expressive naturalism, physical grace and inimitable screen presence, Cheung crafted a genre-hopping body of work that shifts between broad romantic comedies, goopy horror flicks, martial arts extravaganzas and poignant arthouse dramas.

Cheung, who spent much of her early life in the United Kingdom, found fame as the runner up of the Miss Hong Kong pageant in 1983. She quickly found success in comedies and genre films, with a breakthrough role in Jackie Chan's action classic Police Story 1985. Her appearance in Wong Kar-wai's debut feature As Tears Go By 1988 launched a renowned series of collaborations with the director that culminated with In the Mood for Love 2000, a masterpiece of longing that is frequently cited as one of the greatest films of the century.

Throughout her career, Cheung also worked with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers of her era. Her performances in films directed by Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan and Olivier Assayas reflect her own layered cultural identities, exploring fame and postcolonial themes of race and migration. She also took on more physical roles in wuxia and martial arts films, such as the fantastical Green Snake 1993 and the visually resplendent Hero 2002.

After decades in the film industry, her final feature remains Clean 2004, for which she received the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, she has largely retired from the screen, pursuing music and other personal interests, while remaining an icon of an indelible era of Hong Kong cinema.

This program brings together more than 20 films starring Cheung, with many titles screening from new digital restorations and imported 35mm prints. It showcases the legendary breadth and depth of Cheung's career, in one of the largest retrospectives of the actor to be staged anywhere in the world.

Talk: As Years Go By: Maggie Cheung, Hong Kong's Radiant Star
11.00am, Sun 26 Oct | Free, no bookings required
Sydney-based writer and translator Dylan Cheung explores the life and unforgettable career of Maggie Cheung in this free talk.

QAGOMA acknowledges the generous assistance of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Canberra; the Hong Kong Film Archive, Hong Kong; the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, Madison; and Kino Lorber, New York in providing materials for this program. Program curated by Robert Hughes, Australian Cinémathèque. Additional writing by Sophie Hopmeier, Australian Cinémathèque.