Balance between realism and fantasy, business and art and creative freedom and censorship - legendary Hong Kong director Tsui Hark is more than just making movies; he is negotiating the complex reality of contemporary filmmaking.

Talk to it type After receiving the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Honor at the recently concluded Far East Film Festival, the mastermind of “The Legend of Condor: Gallants” has a candid glimpse into his creative process, and these forces have today reshape the Asian cinema.

TSUI is considered a leading figure in Hong Kong during the 1980s New Wave and is known as Spielberg of Asia, who is known for his "Once Upon a Time in China" and "Detective Dee" film series. He is more of a recent blockbuster action movie before "The Condor Heroes" - including "The West Journey: The Devil's Counterattack" and "The Battle on Long Lake".

"Condor Heroes: The Legend of Gallants" is a martial arts epic based on the classic Jin Yong novel of the Southern Chinese Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The focus of this film is the story of Guo Jin, who, after becoming a master of martial arts, protected the boundaries of the Southern Song Dynasty and became a national hero. Often collaborator Tony Leung Ka-fai proposed his lifetime achievement recognition when the film premiered at the event.

Back to the Wuxia genre, the genre that defines most of his outstanding career, Tsui explains his approach to the latest adaptation of classic martial arts stories. “I’m going to make it more realistic,” he said. “Whenever you make a movie, you already have intentions and then you’re doing it… Suddenly you’re going to catch your mind.”

The director said the end result should be surprising. He explained: “I still want to do what I used in[the Condor Heroes]but I think we’re trying to design the action in a completely different way with the work I’ve done before.”

Since his time at the Cinema City and the "Chinese Ghost Story" he has reflected the dramatic evolution of Hong Kong cinemas, TSUI insists that filmmakers inevitably operate in various systems. He noted, "We can never get rid of the system. Systems do not mean censorship. Systems can be markets, business systems." He pointed out that financial pressure and investor expectations are constants in the creative process.

In addition to commercial considerations, TSUI addresses the reality of censorship and other restrictions faced by modern filmmakers. "Censorship is another system we've always faced with, something that you can't get too exaggerated," he said.

According to TSUI, the impact of the internet is another challenge. He observed: "I don't think it's my problem. I think every filmmaker in the world has a problem, and everyone is facing … influence from the internet."

Asked about the future trajectory of Hong Kong cinemas and its role in shaping it, Tsui said groundbreaking filmmakers like him “did not change anything on purpose.” Instead, his focus has been on sincerity and personal creation standards.

"Sometimes, when we start making movies with scripts, the script uses words, text. But the movie has it all." He reflects, explaining how the filmmaking process itself opens new perspectives beyond the initial intention.

Despite the current challenges in the Hong Kong industry, TSUI expresses cautious optimism about overcoming current difficulties, especially in terms of market restrictions and regional audience differences. He concluded: “I want to believe we can get rid of the difficulties we are facing now… Hopefully we can cross the border and we can connect with a larger audience.”