---
name: "Wong Kar-Wai"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/wong-kar-wai"
fi1m_id: "wong-kar-wai"
imdb_id: "nm0939182"
tmdb_id: 12453
wikidata_id: "Q55431"
roles: ["Director","Writer","Producer"]
born: "17 July 1958"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 87
average_as: "director"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-17T15:50:16.876904+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Wong Kar-Wai

## Identity

Wong Kar-Wai

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/wong-kar-wai
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** wong-kar-wai
- **IMDb ID:** nm0939182
- **TMDB ID:** 12453
- **Wikidata ID:** Q55431
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Kar-wai, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55431, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0939182/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12453

Director and writer. Born 17 July 1958 in Shanghai, China.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Writer, Producer
- **Born:** 17 July 1958, Shanghai, China
- **Active:** 1994–2000
- **Also known as:** Wong Kar Wai, Kar Wai Wong, Kar-wai Wong, 왕 가위, ウォン・カーワァイ, Vương Gia Vệ, 王家衞, WKW
- **Frequently works with:** [Tony Leung](https://film.one/person/tony-leung-chiu-wai.md)
- **Cannes Film Festival:** 1 Cannes prize (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 87, as director, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 86 (2), 2000s 91 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 87 to 77 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Romance 3, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $22m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Kar-wai, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55431, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0939182/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12453

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md) (91), [*Happy Together*](https://film.one/film/happy-together.md) (86), [*Chungking Express*](https://film.one/film/chungking-express.md) (85)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Wong Kar-Wai

> Wong Kar-Wai makes romantic longing funny, restless and difficult to shake. He can let music and colour do too much, but *Chungking Express* shows how warmly he understands people being ridiculous about love.

A lonely policeman behaves ridiculously in *Chungking Express* (1994), and Wong Kar-Wai gives us reason to enjoy his company. There are two such policemen, with separate stories, and the humour interrupts their unhappiness without curing it. This is Wong at his most inviting: restless, funny and interested enough in his characters to make their company worth having. We were moved more than we expected, because he lets these men behave foolishly without making their loneliness seem foolish too. The loose plot is a fair price for that warmth.

He began within the gangster genre with *As Tears Go By* (1988). *Days of Being Wild* (1990) brought his voice-overs, fragmented stories and concern with time into fuller use, and began his collaborations with Christopher Doyle and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. By the international breakthrough of *Chungking Express*, music and gaps in the storytelling were central to his approach. Its welcome surprise is how little solemnity Wong needs to make loneliness matter.

Doyle's cinematography gives *Chungking Express* its bold colour, making the city somewhere we want to spend time even when the characters would rather have company. William Chang works across production design, editing and costume, helping to hold together films whose stories arrive in fragments. The colour and the cutting give us things to enjoy without waiting for a plot to explain their importance. Yet some scenes in *Chungking Express* do coast on music and colour. We recommend it warmly, but its performances are what keep those pleasures from wearing thin.

The films that followed found other ways of working with longing: the relationship in *Happy Together* (1997), the restraint of *In the Mood for Love* (2000), and the science-fiction elements of *2046* (2004). *The Grandmaster* (2013) moved towards more conventional storytelling through martial-arts heritage. The risk in so recognisable a style is repetition, with each return to slow motion or a fragment of memory doing less than the last. For a first encounter, start with *Chungking Express* and allow it to wander; anyone requiring a tidy plot should make another choice.

## Biography

Wong Kar-wai is a Hong Kong film director and screenwriter. He was born on 17 July 1958 in Shanghai, China, and moved with his family to Hong Kong in 1963. He studied graphic design at Hong Kong Polytechnic and began his career as a screenwriter, working with director Patrick Tam on films including *Final Victory* (1987).

His directorial debut was *As Tears Go By* (1988). He is known for *Days of Being Wild* (1990), *Chungking Express* (1994), for which he also wrote the screenplay, *Fallen Angels* (1995), *Happy Together* (1997), *In the Mood for Love* (2000), *2046* (2004) and *The Grandmaster* (2013). He later directed the television series *Blossoms Shanghai* (2023).

*Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91, Director, Screenplay, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)
- *Happy Together* (1997), Fi1m 86, Director, Writer, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/happy-together.md)
- *Chungking Express* (1994), Fi1m 85, Director, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/chungking-express.md)

## Complete filmography (63)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Sons of the Neon Night* (2025), Thanks
- *In the Mood for Love 2001* (2025), Director
- *Hao Jiu Bu Jian* (2024), Director, Writer
- *Blossoms Shanghai* (2023), series, Producer, Director, Creator
- *Ennio* (2022), Executive Producer
- *One for the Road* (2022), Producer
- *The Hand* (2021), Writer, Director
- *One-Tenth of a Millimeter Apart* (2021), Writer, Executive Producer, Director
- *Jinpa* (2019), Producer
- *Europe Raiders* (2018), Producer
- *See You Tomorrow* (2016), Producer, Writer
- *Xuan Zang* (2016), as Art Direction
- *The Grandmaster* (2013), Director, Producer, Screenplay
- *The Road to "The Grandmaster"* (2012), Director
- *Touch of the Light* (2012), Executive Producer
- *Miao Miao* (2008), Executive Producer
- *Ashes of Time Redux* (2008), as 导演 · Director, Screenplay
- *My Blueberry Nights* (2007), Producer, Director, Screenplay, Story
- *To Each His Own Cinema* (2007), Director, Producer, Writer
- *Eros* (2004), Writer, Director, Producer
- *2046* (2004), Screenplay, Director, Producer
- *Sound of Colors* (2003), Producer
- *Chinese Odyssey 2002* (2002), Producer
- *@ in the mood for love* (2001), Director, Producer, Writer
- *The Follow* (2001), Director
- *The Hire* (2001), series, Director
- *Age of Bloom* (2001), Director, Producer
- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Producer, Director, Screenplay — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)
- *Motorola* (1998), Director, Screenplay
- *First Love: The Litter on the Breeze* (1997), Producer
- *Happy Together* (1997), Director, Producer, Writer — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/happy-together.md)
- *wkw/tk/1996@7'55''hk.net* (1996), Director
- *Fallen Angels* (1995), Director, Screenplay, Executive Producer
- *Ashes of Time* (1994), Screenplay, Director, Producer
- *Chungking Express* (1994), Screenplay, Director — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/chungking-express.md)
- *Oh! Yes Sir!!!* (1994), Screenplay
- *The Eagle Shooting Heroes* (1993), Executive Producer
- *The King of Ads, Part 2* (1993), Director
- *Saviour of the Soul* (1991), Writer
- *Days of Being Wild* (1990), Writer, Director
- *Return Engagement* (1990), Screenplay
- *Walk on Fire* (1988), Screenplay
- *As Tears Go By* (1988), Director, Writer
- *Chaos By Design* (1988), Actor
- *The Haunted Cop Shop II* (1988), as Sir Wong · Executive Producer, Writer
- *The Haunted Cop Shop* (1987), Writer, Associate Producer
- *Flaming Brothers* (1987), Writer, Executive Producer
- *The Final Test* (1987), Writer
- *Final Victory* (1987), Screenplay
- *Goodbye My Hero* (1986), Writer
- *Rosa* (1986), Writer
- *Sweet Surrender* (1986), Writer
- *Unforgettable Fantasy* (1985), Writer
- *Chase a Fortune* (1985), Writer
- *Silent Romance* (1984), as Policeman · Writer
- *The Intellectual Trio* (1984), Writer
- *Just for Fun* (1983), Writer
- *Once Upon a Rainbow* (1982), Writer
- *無雙譜* (1981), series, Writer
- *Blossoms*, Director, Producer, Writer
- *Making of 2046*, Actor
- *刻氏兄弟綁架大劫案*, Producer
- *Moving Pictures: Chungking Express*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Wong Kar-Wai](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-c0235efe5066.jpg) Wong Kar-Wai — Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Wong_Kar-wai_Berlin_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Annonce publicitaire dans le quartier Lyon Vaise pour le Festival Lumière 2017](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-a71228ac7849.jpg) Annonce publicitaire dans le quartier Lyon Vaise pour le Festival Lumière 2017 — Bearnaise, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Affiche_rue_Festival_Lumi%C3%A8re_2017.jpg/1280px-Affiche_rue_Festival_Lumi%C3%A8re_2017.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Wong Kar-Wai at the Berlin Film Festival 2013](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-5a561f66bbb9.jpg) Director Wong Kar-Wai at the Berlin Film Festival 2013 — Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Chan_Ye-cheng_Berlin_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![HK HKCEC Wan Chai zh:蘇富比 Sotheby's Preview 拍賣 預展 items in October 2021](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-3795f6cdbe40.jpg) HK HKCEC Wan Chai zh:蘇富比 Sotheby's Preview 拍賣 預展 items in October 2021 — DAIWGOMIO 200, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/HK_HKCEC_Wan_Chai_%E8%98%87%E5%AF%8C%E6%AF%94_Sotheby%27s_Preview_%E6%8B%8D%E8%B3%A3_%E9%A0%90%E5%B1%95_item_October_2021_SS2_001.jpg/1280px-HK_HKCEC_Wan_Chai_%E8%98%87%E5%AF%8C%E6%AF%94_Sotheby%27s_Preview_%E6%8B%8D%E8%B3%A3_%E9%A0%90%E5%B1%95_item_October_2021_SS2_001.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Wong Kar-Wai](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-487ec82825bc.jpg) Wong Kar-Wai — Image via TMDB
- ![Wong Kar-Wai](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-ff0c121cb3cf.jpg) Wong Kar-Wai — Image via TMDB
- ![Wong Kar-Wai](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-48f1c20f8580.jpg) Wong Kar-Wai — Image via TMDB
- ![HK HKCEC Wan Chai zh:蘇富比 Sotheby's Preview 拍賣 預展 items in October 2021 zh:王家衛以收藏家的身分精心挑選30件「zh:澤東庫藏」Jet Tone Archive 拍賣 Auction](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-fae1cca6f19e.jpg) HK HKCEC Wan Chai zh:蘇富比 Sotheby's Preview 拍賣 預展 items in October 2021 zh:王家衛以收藏家的身分精心挑選30件「zh:澤東庫藏」Jet Tone Archive 拍賣 Auction — DAIWGOMIO 200, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/HK_HKCEC_Wan_Chai_%E8%98%87%E5%AF%8C%E6%AF%94_Sotheby%27s_Preview_%E6%8B%8D%E8%B3%A3_%E9%A0%90%E5%B1%95_item_%E6%BE%A4%E6%9D%B1%E5%BA%AB%E8%97%8F_Jet_Tone_Archive_October_2021_SS2_001.jpg/1280px-HK_HKCEC_Wan_Chai_%E8%98%87%E5%AF%8C%E6%AF%94_Sotheby%27s_Preview_%E6%8B%8D%E8%B3%A3_%E9%A0%90%E5%B1%95_item_%E6%BE%A4%E6%9D%B1%E5%BA%AB%E8%97%8F_Jet_Tone_Archive_October_2021_SS2_001.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![HK HKCEC Wan Chai zh:蘇富比 Sotheby's Preview 拍賣 預展 items in October 2021 zh:王家衛以收藏家的身分精心挑選30件「zh:澤東庫藏」Jet Tone Archive 拍賣 Auction](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-0864a114cc97.jpg) HK HKCEC Wan Chai zh:蘇富比 Sotheby's Preview 拍賣 預展 items in October 2021 zh:王家衛以收藏家的身分精心挑選30件「zh:澤東庫藏」Jet Tone Archive 拍賣 Auction — DAIWGOMIO 200, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/HK_HKCEC_Wan_Chai_%E8%98%87%E5%AF%8C%E6%AF%94_Sotheby%27s_Preview_%E6%8B%8D%E8%B3%A3_%E9%A0%90%E5%B1%95_item_%E6%BE%A4%E6%9D%B1%E5%BA%AB%E8%97%8F_Jet_Tone_Archive_October_2021_SS2_007.jpg/1280px-HK_HKCEC_Wan_Chai_%E8%98%87%E5%AF%8C%E6%AF%94_Sotheby%27s_Preview_%E6%8B%8D%E8%B3%A3_%E9%A0%90%E5%B1%95_item_%E6%BE%A4%E6%9D%B1%E5%BA%AB%E8%97%8F_Jet_Tone_Archive_October_2021_SS2_007.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Wong Kar-Wai](https://film.one/media/person/84180/gallery-25ccb733d79e.jpg) Wong Kar-Wai — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Cannes Film Festival — 1 won

- 1997: Cannes Best Director Award (won), for *Happy Together*

### Other awards — 9 won

- Tatler Most Influential Hong Kong 2022: Tatler Most Influential Hong Kong (won)
- honorary doctor of Harvard University 2018: honorary doctor of Harvard University (won)
- Lumière Award, Lyon Festival of cinema 2017: Lumière Award, Lyon Festival of cinema (won)
- Asian Film Award for Best Director 2014: Asian Film Award for Best Director (won), for *The Grandmaster*
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres 2013: Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (won)
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2004: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (won), for *2046*
- César Award for Best Foreign Film 2001: César Award for Best Foreign Film (won), for *In the Mood for Love*
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2000: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (won), for *In the Mood for Love*
- Golden Horse Award for Best Director 1991: Golden Horse Award for Best Director (won), for *Days of Being Wild*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/wong-kar-wai