At the 20th Changchun Film Festival, veteran director Lee Lik Chee dropped some serious wisdom about the evolution of Chinese cinema – and why laughter still rules the box office. 🍿 Known for iconic collabs with comedy legends like Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat, Lee compared filmmaking to "cooking a viral TikTok recipe: you need bold flavors, perfect timing, and a dash of surprise."
From Comedy Gold to Modern Stories
Lee’s throwback stories about filming God of Cookery and Shaolin Soccer had the crowd nostalgic. "Audiences today still crave that magic mix of heart and humor," he said, while challenging new directors to "Marvel-ify" Chinese stories with universal appeal. 🦸♂️
Balancing Tradition & Innovation
The director’s hot take? "Great cinema isn’t about choosing between art and entertainment – it’s doing both while riding a cultural tightrope." He spotlighted recent films blending tech like AI-assisted scripts with classic wuxia aesthetics as examples of next-gen storytelling. 🤖⚔️
