Bruce Lee's legacy leaves a family divided
As an exhibition opens to mark the 40th anniversary of the kung fu icon's death, his relatives are still at odds over the rights to his enduring legend
Forty years to the day after his untimely death, the legend of Bruce Lee lives on: a cultural icon of Hong Kong, a great exponent of the martial arts and a philosopher whose words continue to serve as an inspiration, bonding people of different generations and cultures across the world.
And there are hopes that the anniversary will go some way to restoring the bond between people who have had more than their fair share of differences over the years - the Lee family.
Let bygones be bygones. It feels so much better if you let it go ... We share the same family name after all
The opening of the biggest ever museum exhibition devoted to Bruce's life and work yesterday brought Bruce's elder sister Phoebe and nephew Clarence - the son of Bruce's younger brother Robert - face to face with Bruce's daughter Shannon.
It's rare for Bruce's siblings to share a stage with his daughter or his widow, Linda Lee Cadwell.
The two sides of the family have often pursued projects devoted to Bruce separately.
What little communication there has been has more often come in the form of e-mail exchanges and letters from lawyers, rather than heartwarming phone calls and family gatherings.
"Let bygones be bygones," Phoebe, 74, said on the eve of the opening of the exhibition at the Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. "It feels so much better if you let it go ... We share the same family name after all."