Director of the classic film Golden Chicken, Samson Chiu
Director Samson Chiu brought us the now-classic film “Golden Chicken,” preserving a slice of Hong Kong history easily forgotten. The author of several travelogues, and a "Ming Pao" column, his newest film, “McDull, The Alumni” is out now. He tells Yvonne Young how travel and film complete his life.
I emigrated to Hong Kong from Shanghai when I was five. Before crossing the border at Lo Wu, I was so thirsty I drank five boxes of Green Spot. An English immigration officer was so amazed when he saw that, he came over and spoke with me. For some reason, this is my first memory. I don’t remember anything in Shanghai.
Then I think: I must be a slow-growing person. My brain grows so slowly.
I used to be inward and numb. But one day, I realized I couldn’t rely on my own observations to satisfy my curiosity. So I started to ask questions. A lot of them were quite dumb.
I always liked going to the cinema. My favorite film was “Around the World in 80 Days.” I saw it eight times and it must have planted a seed deep inside me.
I became a vagabond. I can hardly stay at home for any length of time.
My passion for traveling is never affected by the nature of the trip. I can travel alone or with friends. I can even enjoy those crappy four-day packages where you have to hit a town a day. Then when I’m back in Hong Kong, I can’t wait to join some local tour around Yau Ma Tei.
You get as much freedom as you fight for. If I want another flat and more cars, I need to make more movies. Each film is such a big undertaking, a tiring process. After production, you have to stop everything to recover. I can’t give up my brain for a bigger house.
I was lucky to have a poor childhood. I learned not to ask for a luxurious life. By doing that, I’ve left a lot of room for personal freedom.
