Question 1

Why was Boat People filmed on Hainan Island?

Accepted Answer

The People's Republic of China, just ending a war with Vietnam, gave director Ann Hui permission to film on Hainan Island. It was the first Hong Kong movie filmed in Communist China.

Question 2

How did Andy Lau get cast as To Minh in Boat People?

Accepted Answer

Chow Yun-Fat turned down the role and recommended a young actor whose name he didn't know. George Lam also spoke of a young actor who impressed him. Cinematographer David Chung suggested another young actor, leading to Andy Lau's casting.

Question 3

Why is the English title Boat People considered misleading?

Accepted Answer

The film does not tell the story of boat people; it instead tells the plight of Vietnamese people under communist rule, the reason causing them to become boat people. The Chinese title, meaning 'Run Towards the Angry Sea', is more accurate.

Question 4

What controversy surrounded Boat People at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival?

Accepted Answer

The film was smuggled into the festival and screened, but was dropped from main competition after protests from leftist groups and at the request of the French government seeking better relations with communist Vietnam.

Question 5

What inspired Ann Hui to make Boat People?

Accepted Answer

In the late 1970s, Hui made a documentary interviewing Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. From those interviews, she directed The Story of Woo Viet (1981) and Boat People.

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Boat People

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