HK Ballet and HK Phil present Short Film
Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream)
one night in Hong Kong sometime in the past...
...or in the future
[Hong Kong—26 April 2021] Ballet + Classical Music + Cyberpunk! Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) are proud to present a new short film, Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream), which depicts Mozart’s futuristic journey from the extravagant classical era to a psychedelic urbanscape in frenetic Hong Kong. The film is directed by film director and award-winning costume and production designer Ahong Cheung, who is renowned for See You Tomorrow (Best Makeup and Costume Design at the 54th Golden Horse Awards), Fagara (Best Art Direction at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards), Unbeatable and Mad World.
With a modern take on Mozart’s mesmerising Eine kleine Nachtmusik (2nd and 3rd movements), ‘a little night serenade’ in German, performed by the HK Phil and whimsical choreography from HKB’s Artistic Director Septime Webre, HKB’s vibrant dancers and the HK Phil’s captivating musicians transform the streets of Hong Kong into a mysterious, exciting universe brimming with creative tension and anticipation.
A disoriented Mozart finds himself in retro-futuristic Hong Kong late one night pursued by an ominous pair of authority figures in black and races through a colourful crowd. Decked out in flamboyant, fantastical costumes, cyber-goth gangsters, mahjong players, arcade game players, street musicians, construction workers, shoppers and pedestrians mill about at dizzying speeds in the bustling neon-lit streets of SoHo, a popular late night party haven for revellers.
Drawing upon Hong Kong’s enduring cyberpunk legacy that has inspired popular sci-fi films, Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream) salutes the dynamic city, both past and present, with an eclectic mix of imaginative props, costumes, sets, lighting and special effects. With this compelling short film, HKB and the HK Phil have taken an unexpected approach to revive the city virtually and to pay homage to its famous neon light aesthetics and renowned cinematic style, bringing together an innovative cross-sector collaboration that seamlessly fuses ballet, classical music and cinema.
Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream) is currently available on HKB and the HK Phil’s social media platforms. Join us on this outrageous out-of-this-world adventure, and experience Mozart in a completely new way!
In addition, with live accompaniment by the HK Phil, seven HKB dancers will perform Webre’s choreography for Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (2nd and 3rd movements), as well as an excerpt from Balanchine’s Jewels to selected movements from Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande in the HK Phil’s Mozart en pointe | Chiyan Wong’s Ravel on 30 April and 1 May 2021.
For further information, please contact:
Nick Chan | Director of Marketing | T: 21059716 / 97281777 | [email protected]
Nichol Chau | Senior Marketing Officer | T: 21059753 / 56321755 | [email protected]
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This video is part of Hong Kong Ballet’s outreach project ‘Ballet in the City—Pop Up’ performance campaign.
About Hong Kong Ballet
One of Asia’s premier ballet companies, Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) is internationally recognised as a vibrant arts institution that represents Hong Kong’s unique character. Established in 1979 and led by Artistic Director Septime Webre, HKB has a dynamic repertoire performed by nearly 50 dancers from all over the globe and award-winning education and community programmes.
With almost 50 international tours, HKB has won recognition from critics and fans both at home and abroad. Its diverse repertoire includes classic and modern masterpieces, original full-length ballets created for HKB, an interactive ballet series for younger fans and groundbreaking dance by today’s most sought-after choreographers, including Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiří Kylian, Nacho Duato and Trey McIntyre, among others.
HKB maintains an active schedule of community initiatives throughout Hong Kong to ensure that ballet is accessible to people from all walks of life.
About Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is recognised as Asia’s foremost classical orchestra, attracting more than 200,000 music lovers every year by presenting more than 150 concerts. In 2019, the HK Phil received the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award—the first orchestra in Asia to receive this distinction. Maestro Jaap van Zweden has been the orchestra’s Music Director since the 2012/13 concert season and will continue to hold the position through to the end of the 2023/24 season; he is also Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Maestro Yu Long is the HK Phil’s Principal Guest Conductor. Lio Kuokman has been appointed as Resident Conductor, effective 1 December 2020 and covering the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. It is the orchestra’s mission to share its finest music-making in a more accessible way with people everywhere, not just in designated venues. Since 2020, the HK Phil has produced over 50 online programmes and has generated over 1.1 million views through recording, streaming and publishing our programmes on website and social media platforms.
