2026 marks the 70th anniversary of Leslie Cheung's birth. The Hong Kong Film Archive will premiere the 4K digitally restored version of The Kid on April 26 at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Originally released in 1999, the film tells the touching story of a bankrupt stockbroker (played by Leslie) who adopts an abandoned baby during the financial crisis, and the two rely on each other to survive. Twenty-seven years later, the film returns to audiences in a 4K digitally restored version. In an exclusive interview with DotDotNews, director Jacob Cheung described the arduous journey as a "miracle" and "wondrous."
Twisted path to restoring the negative
Cheung said that back in 2017, the post-production company that had been storing the original negative of The Kid was going out of business. He decided to have a gold disc made for another post house and to send the negative to the Film Archive for preservation. However, because his team never followed up, they later discovered, when wanting to screen the film, that the original negative of The Kid had completely disappeared.
Cheung then managed to find a Blu-ray disc in Taiwan, but the image quality did not meet the restoration standards, forcing him to return empty-handed. It wasn't until 2024 that he located the master tape overseas.
"I immediately had it shipped back to Hong Kong. I took the remastered tape and combined it with Leslie's own original vocal recordings to create a new remix, producing this 4K restored version."
This restoration was funded by Cheung himself.
"I no longer have to bear the pressure of losing The Kid because that would have been a great disservice to Leslie." As he said this, Cheung was filled with relief at having recovered what was lost.
Giving back to the film industry with sincere devotion
The Kid was planned and released in the late 1990s, when Hong Kong's film industry was suffering from a sluggish market due to the financial crisis. Cheung, along with Derek Yee and several other directors, formed the Creative Alliance to revitalize the industry. Their goal was to reduce production costs while enlisting bankable actors to make a quality film, thereby boosting the market and restoring audience and investor confidence in box office returns.
The Kid was the first film directed by Cheung under the Creative Alliance banner. It is widely celebrated that Leslie symbolically accepted "a HK$1 salary" for his role.
"When Leslie heard about it, he was very willing to support the project. He felt that cinema had helped him greatly, and he wanted to give back. He was willing to support it without taking any money," Cheung recalled.
Through director Derek Yee's introduction, Leslie became the lead actor of The Kid. To Cheung, Leslie's unconditional support was an enormous encouragement to both him and the entire film industry.
"Because of his support, the cinema chains were willing to lend us money, solving our financial problems. And Leslie was thinking that his participation could prove and demonstrate to other actors that there are indeed actors who support this kind of project."
No image, only performance: Leslie's professionalism and dedication
In The Kid, Leslie departed from his usual refined image to play a character who falls from being a glamorous financial elite to a destitute grassroots man raising an abandoned baby alone.
"He respected the director and the script very much. He had few personal opinions. Instead, he would ask, 'Don't I look destitute enough? Can I have some stubble?'"
During the two-month shoot, Leslie set aside all his other commitments and activities, immersing himself completely in the role. He built a close, familiar relationship with the young actor in advance, carefully studied the mindset of the "father" role, and handled the emotional scenes with delicate naturalism. Every aspect showed Cheung Leslie's professionalism and acting prowess.
Citing Leslie's cross-dressing role in Farewell My Concubine as an example, Cheung said, "I think if a similar type of film were made today, no one could act it better than Leslie. His departure is a great loss to us."
A warm and uplifting message
"I wanted to make a film that could make people feel, after watching it, that no matter what difficulties we encounter, it's not the end of the world. As long as we stay true to ourselves and never lose our values, the willingness to help others. I also want to tell today's audiences: no matter what happens, it will pass, and a new hope can soon appear."
The Kid portrays a father-son bond stronger than blood, unspoken love, and the warmth of neighbors helping one another in a humble community. These simple emotions are precisely the most powerful force that moves the heart.
The re-release this time is not only a commemoration and tribute to Leslie, but also allows weary and numb audiences to feel genuine emotion and warmth within the story, revisiting the most precious original aspirations and sentiments of Hong Kong cinema. The sincere devotion that Leslie wrote with his 1-dollar salary will forever remain in the annals of Chinese-language cinema, serving as an example for future generations of filmmakers.
(Reporter: Ashley; Cameraperson & Video editor: Bernhard; English Editor: Darius)
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