My Voice, My Life
Editor: Amanda Wu
My Voice, My Life, directed by Oscar-winning Chinese-American filmmaker Ruby Yang, is an inspirational, realistic film, which premiered in Hong Kong on October 16, 2014.
The movie follows the personal journeys of a group of under-privileged Hong Kong youngsters who over six months face the trials and tribulations of staging their own musical theater production.
Facing social labeling and a scarcity of resources, the students challenge their parents, teachers and policy makers to reflect on their way of nurturing the younger generation while turning over a new leaf of their own, redefining their own willpower, attentiveness and attitudes toward life.
The story of struggle and hardship depicted in the movie has touched Hong Kong star Andy Lau, who not only provided his own personal words for its poster but also offered to help promote the movie by assisting with its marketing campaign and offering his own personal endorsement.
Lau said the movie reminded him of his own story: When he was still in school, he was labeled as a troublemaker and at one point had even been called in by the police for questioning.
“At the time, nobody thought I would one day become a success, and many even doubted whether I would contribute to society at all,” said Lau. Fortunately, he was chosen to participate in a stage play by famous Hong Kong screenwriter Raymond To Kwok-Wai, through which he developed his responsibility and rebuilt himself from the ground up, turning himself into the driven, determined person he is today.
“Without To, I would never have come to love show biz so much,” said an emotional Lau.
Originally from Hong Kong, director Yang has focused her work mainly on the social issues of modern China, as can be seen in The Blood of Yingzhou District, which won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject; and The Warriors of Qiugang, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2011.
(Source: 1905.com/Translated and edited by Women of China)
