Spotlight on Hong Kong Horror

Tales of the supernatural and the uncanny have always been a highly popular genre in Chinese cinema, however their popularity in mainland China came under fire for encouraging superstition and therefore being a hindrance in the government's push to modernise the nation. Their banning continued through the communist revolution in the late 1940s, but the genre found a new home in the British colonial port of Hong Kong.

It was here that the genre thrived and evolved, far from the disapproving eyes of mainland censors. Here, horror became bold, kinetic and visually inventive, blending the wuxia genre with tales of black magic, vengeful ghosts and strange monsters. It would peak with its golden age in the 1980s and 1990s as Hong Kong horror became globally recognised for its unique take on classic horror icons.

This spotlight season highlights one of Hong Kong's most enduring exports, with films including Mr Vampire, Encounter of the Spooky Kind, The Seventh Curse and The Boxer's Omen.