'Success has been harder to stomach than failure,’ stated Ann Hui, renowned film director, when summing up her 30 years as a film-maker. ‘The overwhelming success of Boat People triggered my failure in the following years. I was under a lot of stress to make the next one better. A film’s success depends on a lot of factors, not just the effort of any one person. Coming to CUHK today is very meaningful because film-making is about communicating directly with the audience.'

Despite the many awards she’s won, Hui has not thought of retiring because ‘one needs to work hard even if one has succeeded.’ Her words to students are, ‘You’re now living in an era far more challenging than ours. These days, everyone can be a producer. He/she can use a digital camera to make a film and make it accessible to audiences all over the world. The boundary between performer and viewer is gone. The world has become very equal but it makes it harder to stand out.’ She said to achieve something, one needs to be true to oneself. ‘When I was in film school, my classmates came from different cultural backgrounds, and many of them were unique and used to thinking out of the box. This is what you want—showmanship in daily life. Be yourself! If you have no character, how can your work have one?’

Miss Ann Hui was invited to host the University Lecture on Civility on 15 March. The lecture attracted over 600 students and staff, with many occupying the floor and aisles.