Undying spirit

Almost two decades after her untimely death, pop icon and movie star Anita Mui Yim-fong continues to enjoy cult status in Hong Kong. In the lead-up to the release of a new Mui biopic, Mathew Scott caught up with film director Longman Leung and lead actress Louise Wong Dan-nei.

Filmmaker Longman Leung remembers the moment when he knew he had found the right person to take on the role of Anita Mui Yim-fong — the iconic Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress, lost all too soon to cancer in 2003. Piecing together a biopic on the life of a much-beloved star, whose premature passing is still mourned by fans in her home city of Hong Kong, was no mean task. Anita — finally due for release on Nov 12 — was in pre-production for years. Leung and his production team auditioned about 3,000 hopefuls for the title role. Those who went through the rigorous selection process were asked to sing a number that helped make Mui famous.

Then the moment came.

"The song we were doing was The Song of Sunset," the director said. "I was watching her sing on the monitors and thought 'OK, this is the face.' When I turned back, everyone in the crew was crying. That's why we were so inspired."

The actor clinching the role is former model Louise Wong Dan-nei. Making her film debut at 31, Wong has taken on what can only be described as the role — and the challenge — of a lifetime.