Few filmmakers have captured the beauty, loneliness and emotional complexity of modern life quite like Wong Kar-wai. From the neon-lit streets of Hong Kong to the distant landscapes of Argentina, his films explore love, longing, memory and the passage of time through an unmistakable cinematic style.
Renowned for his expressive use of colour, music, cinematography and fragmented storytelling, Wong transforms familiar genres such as romance and crime cinema into deeply personal reflections on human relationships. Beneath their visual beauty, his films also tell us something about Hong Kong itself: a city shaped by rapid modernisation, migration and an uncertain relationship with its past and future.
This eight-week course introduces audiences to Wong’s cinematic world through four remarkable films: Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), Days of Being Wild (1990) and Happy Together (1997). Across four screenings and accompanying lectures, we will explore love and loneliness in the modern city, the darker side of urban alienation, nostalgia and the imagination of the past, and the relationship between migration, sexuality and belonging.
Combining close analysis of memorable scenes with discussion of Hong Kong’s cultural history and Wong’s filmmaking techniques, the course asks how images, sounds and movement communicate feelings that characters cannot easily express. Whether encountering Wong Kar-wai for the first time or returning to his films, audiences are invited to discover fresh perspectives on one of world cinema’s most distinctive directors.
Tutor:
Dr Wayne Wong - Lecturer in East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield.
20 Jan - Chungking Express (1994)
27 Jan - Love in the City: Romance, Loneliness and Urban Modernity
3 Feb - Fallen Angels (1995)
10 Feb - After Dark: Alienation, Desire and the Cinematic City
17 Feb - Days of Being Wild (1990)
24 Feb - A Minute of Eternity: Time, Memory and the Cinema of Nostalgia
3 Mar - Happy Together (1997)
10 Mar - Far Away from Home: Queer Desire, Exile and Hong Kong Identity
Pass
A Film Studies pass grants you access to all four films, and all four lectures.
Full Pass: £80
Concession: £65
Showroom Flex, Standard and Superior members: £75
Tickets
On peak* tickets are £12 (£10 concession).
CINE26 tickets: 16-26 year olds can access £6 tickets anytime with a free CINE26 membership.
*On peak applies Mon-Fri after 5pm, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Concessions includes claimants, under 16s, students, over 60s, and Blue Light cardholders.
Save with a Showroom Cinema Membership: Skip the £1.50 online booking fee and enjoy further discounts on screenings. Save £1 on tickets as a Superior and Standard Members or 15% (up to £1.80) as a Flex Member. Sign up to a membership today from just £4.99 per month.
*On peak applies Mon-Fri after 5pm, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Concessions includes claimants, under 16s, students, over 60s, and Blue Light cardholders.
Showroom Members including CINE26 must be logged into their account for the discount to apply. The Showroom Member discount applies to Superior, Standard, Flex and Supporter memberships.
