From May 16 to 25, the China Film Archive, in collaboration with Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd. and the Hong Kong Film Archive, will present A Sil-Metropole Retrospective, a major film program celebrating the legacy of this influential studio. Featuring 16 carefully selected masterpieces from the 1950s to the 1990s, the retrospective highlights Sil-Metropole’s distinctive creative style and artistic achievements. Through these big-screen screenings, audiences will have the opportunity to revisit a pivotal chapter in the history of Chinese cinema.

The retrospective will open on May 16 with The New Dream of the Red Chamber (1952) and conclude on May 25 with Cageman (1992). Throughout the festival, a diverse selection of acclaimed films will be screened, including The Lying World (1950), The Moon at Mid-Autumn (1953), Butterflies Flying Together (1959), The Book and the Sword (1987), and An Autumn’s Tale (1990), among others. Each screening will be accompanied by a pre-screening introduction and a post-screening discussion to enrich the audience’s experience.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the 1950 reorganization of Great Wall Movie Enterprises, Sil-Metropole has long stood as a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s film industry. Over the past seven and a half decades, the company has navigated shifting cinematic landscapes while producing a rich and diverse body of high-quality films. These works carry forward the progressive, patriotic spirit of Hong Kong cinema, reflecting a deep sense of social responsibility and remaining true to Sil-Metropole’s enduring production ethos: to promote virtue and elevate the human spirit.

Sil-Metropole has also served as a vital bridge between the film industries of mainland China and Hong Kong. At various points in history, it has played a pivotal role in the development of Chinese-language cinema. Notably, its collaborative efforts—particularly through the “Great Wall–Phoenix–Sun Luen” studio system, which brought together Great Wall Movie Enterprises, Sun Luen Film Company, and Phoenix Motion Picture Company—resulted in numerous co-productions with mainland counterparts. These partnerships helped pioneer and solidify a lasting framework for cross-border cinematic cooperation.

（Translated by Luo Desai）