Lee Sun-fung

Directing

Lee Sun-fung

Born June 1, 1909 · Guangdong Province, China

Died May 21, 1985 · aged 75

Lee Sun-fung was one of the emblematic directors that predominated Cantonese cinema of the 50s and 60s. An intellectual himself, he not only directed, but also scripted many of his films, with quite a few adaptations from Western and Chinese classics.

Known For

Sweet DegenerationSweet Degeneration · 1997
Sweet Degeneration
4.51997
MovieDrama
With a singular voice that distinguishes him from his New Taiwan Cinema contemporaries, Lin Cheng-sheng adds to his brief, but already remarkable, filmography with Sweet Degeneration, his third film in two years. As with A Drifting Life and Murmur of Youth, Lin’s new film delicately unfolds, gradually building to a climax of stunning emotional reverberations. Drawn from a particularly painful episode in the director’s past, Sweet Degeneration delves into the uneasy bonds a brother and sister have with each other and the people around them.
The OrphanThe Orphan · 1960
The Orphan
4.91960
Movie
When a young street thug becomes friends with the headmaster of a school, he gives up the triad life to enroll in the school.
Tragedy of the Poet KingTragedy of the Poet King · 1968
Tragedy of the Poet King
7.01968
MovieMusic
Human RelationshipsHuman Relationships · 1959
Human Relationships
1959
MovieHistoryDrama
Lee Sun-fung is renowned for adapting literary classics for the silver screen. To commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Union Film Enterprise known for producing quality films and co-founded by Lee, Human Relationships is adapted from writer Ba Jin's novel into film. The Yiu family moves into a manor. Mrs Yiu, while frustrated by the way her step-son is spoiled by her husband and mother-in-law, develops a friendship with a kid (Michael Lai) who steals flowers from the mansion's garden. She later learns that he is the son of the place's former owner whose downfall at middle age is the result of being spoiled when young. Lai was only a child but gained a foothold among seasoned veterans like Cheung Wood-yau, Ng Cho-fan and Pak Yin.
Cold NightsCold Nights · 1955
Cold Nights
7.71955
MovieDrama
Cold Nights features great performances by both Pak Yin as a tough minded “new woman”, Shusheng, and Ng Cho-fan as her weak husband, Wang Wenxuan, whose spirits have been crushed by the Sino-Japanese war.
A Flower RebornA Flower Reborn · 1953
A Flower Reborn
8.01953
MovieDrama
Orphaned at a young age and widowed on her first day of marriage, Ah Chen comes to rely on no one but herself. As she begins living with her good friend, she falls in love with her friend’s moody brother, Chan Chi-chiu after a rocky start to their relationship. Initially supportive of the match, Chan’s overprotective and superstitious mother forces the couple to separate when she is led to believe that Ah Chen is a jinx to anyone she marries.
Feast of a Rich FamilyFeast of a Rich Family · 1959
Feast of a Rich Family
9.01959
MovieComedy
This tale of familial warfare and sacrifice takes place in hard-pressed Shanghai at the end of the 1940s. Hu Zhiqing can barely support his wife and children, and his situation is worsened by the unexpected arrival of his mother, brother and sister-in-law. When he is fired by his unscrupulous boss, the whole family becomes embroiled in one emotional/economic struggle after another.
So Siu SiuSo Siu Siu · 1962
So Siu Siu
10.01962
MovieHistory
The film opens with a travelogue, showcasing West Lake and the real Mainland Chinese locations used by the film to which only the Left Wing of Hong Kong Cinema had access to at the time. The title character is a young woman raised by her courtesan aunt in the West Lake scenic resort area in Hangzhou. Siu Siu is perused by a local Official, but falls in love with the son of the Prime Minister. They marry, but are separated by the Prime Minister who arranges another marriage for the son. Siu Siu remains at West Lake, where she regretfully uses the desire of the earlier Official to help another of the girls find happiness.

Filmography

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Human RelationshipsHuman Relationships · 1959
Human Relationships
1959
MovieHistoryDrama
Lee Sun-fung is renowned for adapting literary classics for the silver screen. To commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Union Film Enterprise known for producing quality films and co-founded by Lee, Human Relationships is adapted from writer Ba Jin's novel into film. The Yiu family moves into a manor. Mrs Yiu, while frustrated by the way her step-son is spoiled by her husband and mother-in-law, develops a friendship with a kid (Michael Lai) who steals flowers from the mansion's garden. She later learns that he is the son of the place's former owner whose downfall at middle age is the result of being spoiled when young. Lai was only a child but gained a foothold among seasoned veterans like Cheung Wood-yau, Ng Cho-fan and Pak Yin.

Director

Beauty Raised from the DeadBeauty Raised from the Dead · 1956
Beauty Raised from the Dead
8.01956
MovieHorrorRomance
Lau Mung-mui chances on To Lai-leung and their encounter transcends to a rendezvous in their dreams. They admire each other, but they do not know each other's names and addresses. They keep on thinking of each other and decide to take each other as their future husband and wife. Mui's father wants his son to get married, but he pays no attention to his father's wishes. Mui leaves home to look for Leung. Leung's father forces his daughter to marry her rich and powerful cousin. Leung becomes despondent and dies, following an arranged marriage with her cousin. Mui sought everywhere for Leung for three years, but to no avail. He locates the home of Leung, but the household has moved out. The house is guarded by an old servant. Mui, chasing Leung's spirit, has a brief romance with her. Acknowledging that their union will be hindered by their incompatibility as a mortal and a spirit, Leung reincarnates as a mortal so that their love may be rekindled.

Screenplay

AnnaAnna · 1955
Anna
7.01955
MovieDrama
Though her marriage with rich businessman Chan Hak-lit is crumbling, Anna Poon refuses to accept her childhood sweetheart Wong Kei-shu's courtship. Anna's younger sister Mei-na has a crush on Shu and treats Lee Man coldly. When she sees Anna being with Shu, she taunts Anna with stealing who she likes. Anna is hurt and goes back to Chan's house. Chan holds a house party and invites business celebrities. Shu attends it and when tells Anna he loves her when they dance. Anna rejects him and tells him never to see her again. Chan goes to the racecourse. When Shu falls down from a horse, Anna faints. Chan asks Anna what her relationship with Shu is. He warns her not to have any wrongdoing and ruin his reputation. Shu is fine and asks Anna to meet for the last time. Anna cannot turn down him and goes to meets him. Lit miscomprehends the situation and files a divorce. He even forbids Anna to see their daughter. A distressed Anna becomes a victim of love in a conservative society.

Screenplay

SpringSpring · 1953
Spring
8.01953
MovieDrama
Ko Suk-ying is saddened over her arranged marriage as manipulated by her father Hak-ming. Ko Kok-sun's Cousin Chow Wai's spends the Mid-Autumn Festival before her marriage with the Kos. She has been in love with Sun. Sun finds out about her love for him when she is about to be married off, he is too weak to oppose to Wai's betrothal to another man. Sun's son, Hoi-sun, falls ill. Fearing the displeasure of his elders, Sun dares not consult a western doctor. Meanwhile, another dispute arises among members of the family over the ancestral land. When accused of being incompetent in his management, Sun takes the blame silently. Wai dies of grief while Hoi-sun becomes a victim of mistreatment. Sun is devastated at this double blow. Hak-ming instructs Sun to arrange for Ying's wedding. Knowing the kind of man Ying's fiancee is, Sun is reluctant. Not wanting to follow in Wai's footsteps, Ying fights for her own rights, and backed by an enlightened Sun, she leaves for a new start.

Director

The Haunted HouseThe Haunted House · 1950
The Haunted House
8.01950
MovieHorror
Mr. Wong and his students take shelter in a house during a storm, where the caretaker, Uncle Fook, tells a ghost story. Long ago, cousins Bai Yunfeng and Bai Deqing rescued a singer, Qin Chuxiang. Both loved her, but Chuxiang only loved Yunfeng. Deqing, jealous, convinced Yunfeng’s father, Bai Yinzong, to break up the couple by arranging Yunfeng’s marriage to a cousin. However, Chuxiang was pregnant, so the Emperor agreed to their marriage. On the wedding day, Chuxiang’s mother revealed that she and Yunfeng were siblings. Deqing then bribed locals to accuse them of incest, and they were nearly drowned. Mr. Wong’s group realizes Yunfeng and Chuxiang survived and had pretended to be ghosts for years. Yinzong exposes Deqing’s plot, and Yunfeng and Chuxiang finally marry.

Writer