Chungking Express (1994)

“If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? If so, I hope they last for centuries.”

A beloved Asian cinema classic, Chungking Express explores two different stories of love, loss and chance encounters on the bustling streets of Hong Kong. Following the interwoven stories of two lonely policemen - Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who obsessively counts down the expiration date of a lost love, and Cop 663 (Tony Leung) who draws the attention of a ‘California Dreaming’ cafe worker (Faye Wong), the film also stars the iconic Bridgette Lin.

With a hypnotic soundtrack and dynamic cinematography, Chungking Express captures the restless energy of the city of Hong Kong, while exploring the emotional and reflective moments of its cast. Wong’s signature style of fragmented narratives and neon-soaked visuals transform everyday encounters into something poetic and profound.

Chungking Express is urban cinema par excellence - a story of crowds, crossed paths, stolen kisses and snatched takeaway meals. - Johnathan Romney, The Guardian

Film: Chungking Express (1994)

Director: Wong Kar Wai

Runtime: 102 minutes

Rating: M

Language: Cantonese with English subtitles

Cost: Free

This event is proudly presented as part of Neon Playground 2.0 - Sydney’s largest Asian-Australian cultural arts festival.

Note: This is a community event with limited tickets available. If you are unsure that you can 100% attend, please consider booking for next time so somebody else can come along. Also, please let us know if you've purchased a ticket and will unable to be attend so we can arrange for the ticket to be made available to the public. Thanks!

Subtitle Cinema Club

Celebrate the best of Asian cinema with Subtitle Cinema Club - a pop up cinema as part of Neon Playground 2.0.

Brought to you by Soul of Chinatown and the Asian Cinema Collective, come down to the former Marigold Restaurant for a program of Chinatown Classics, from comedy and kung fu, to the everlasting Chungking Express.

About Soul of Chinatown

Soul of Chinatown is a non-profit community group based in Sydney’s Chinatown, whose mission is to uplift and advocate for the area. It does so by putting a spotlight on Chinatown, working to preserve the culture, history and tradition of Sydney’s Chinatown and its community, but also looking to the present and the future.

Founded by Hayden Wong Wing Kee, Kevin Cheng and Peter Wong Wing Kee in 2021, Soul of Chinatown aims to inspire and foster positive change in Chinatown through advocacy, community, events and storytelling.

About Asian Cinema Collective

The Asian Cinema Collective (ACC) was born out of a need for community and an opportunity to share our love for Asian cinema with fellow filmgoers in Melbourne. Open to all, the ACC is a place for both the diaspora and fans of films made in Asia, or films featuring predominantly Asian experiences and stories.

With an aim to showcase the best of Asian cinema, their program spans cultural classics, essential viewings and emerging new talents from the region each month. As they build and grow their audience and capabilities, they hope to be able to expand this program further (and more frequently).