Director: Ann Hui
Country: Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam
Award: none
Movement: Hong Kong New Wave
The Story of Woo Viet is a 1981 Hong Kong political drama directed by Ann Hui and starring Chow Yun-fat as the title character, Woo Viet. The assistant director was Stanley Kwan and the action choreographer was Ching Siu-tung. The film was one of the first political dramas made in Hong Kong. It used the story of Vietnamese refugees (boat people) to reflect on Hong Kong's handling of the refugee issue, and also on Hong Kong's sentiment regarding their uncertain future of sovereignty at the time. It is also the second part of Ann Hui's Vietnamese trilogy. Woo Viet is an overseas Chinese from Vietnam. He is one of many refugees fleeing Vietnam by boat to Hong Kong. While in a detention camp, he realizes that many refugees are being murdered. He decides to leave Hong Kong as quickly as possible by obtaining a forged passport. He meets a beautiful woman, Shum Ching, who also wants to go to the United States. During a layover in Manila, Shum Ching and other women discover that they are being trafficked into prostitution. Woo Viet does not get on a plane to go to America. Instead, he remains in the Philippines to rescue Shum Ching. Mr. Chung, a local mob boss, makes a deal with Woo Viet to work as an assassin in exchange for Shum Ching's safety. However, Mr. Chung eventually betrays Woo Viet. Sum Ching is killed during a fight, and Woo Viet kills Mr. Chung in revenge. The movie ends with Woo Viet burying Sum Ching at sea.
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