‘The man behind the Melvis persona’ – late Hong Kong Elvis impersonator remembered in documentary filmmakers were working on when he died
- Two fans who were filming a documentary about Hong Kong Elvis impersonator Melvis when he died last year hope to finish it as a tribute to his life and music
- Their film features Melvis playing on the city’s streets and at his last concert, and interviews with family and the friends who knew best a man of few words
When Elvis impersonator Melvis died of kidney failure on December 29 last year, a poignant piece of Hong Kong folklore died with him.
For almost three decades, Kwok Lam-sang, better known as Melvis, could be seen in Hong Kong’s biggest nightspots, where he’d play for tips dressed as his hero and singing his songs. Many were affected by his death at the age of 68.
Independent film producer Jonathan Duncan is hoping to keep the legendary performer’s spirit alive through a documentary, The Heartbreaker: The Story of Melvis.
Duncan has been working on the film with co-producer Richie Fowler and cinematographer Alix Roussel for the past two years and had most of the footage completed before Kwok’s death.
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The spirit of the Elvis Presley lives on in Hong Kong's ‘Melvis’
“We have been in contact with Melvis’ family since April 2019. His wife Anna was able to help us get in touch with him when nobody knew where he was – he was a very elusive man,” Duncan explains.
“Our first stage of filming was set over three days. We filmed him performing on the streets of Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai and Kowloon. We also filmed an hour-long sit-down interview with him. And at a later date, we filmed him backstage and onstage at one of his concerts in Sheung Wan, which turned out to be his last.
