Ann Hui's critically-acclaimed drama, A SIMPLE LIFE has won veteran actress Deanie Ip a coveted Best Actress award at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Such top achievement is very honorable, and now the award-winning drama is selected to represent Hong Kong as the candidate for next year's 84th Academy Awards in Best Foreign-Language Film category.
A SIMPLE LIFE is based on the true experiences of its producer Roger Lee, in which Deanie Ip plays a domestic helper who has worked for the same family for more than half a century and raised the character played by Andy Lau.
According to the Federation of Motion Film Producers who are responsible for the selection, A SIMPLE LIFE tops the list with a unanimous vote from its 11 board members. Other shortlisted movies vying for the selection are Peter Chan's WU XIA as well as Alan Mak and Felix Chong's OVERHEARD 2.
Here's what the Federation's chairman Crucindo Hung had to say about the finalized selection of A SIMPLE LIFE right below.
...a film by a remarkable director showcasing an unsurpassed performance from an extraordinary actress
The Hong Kong film industry is mostly driven by commercial films, so perhaps our past selections didn’t appeal to the taste of the Academy. But with a film like A Simple Life, which has artistic merit and reflects Hong Kong society, we hope we have a better chance this year.