WST TV

1. Imelda Marcos documentary maker on interviewing the Philippines’ infamous former first lady

   Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield was drawn to the Philippines by journalist Bill Mellor’s article about the remote island of Calauit. In the 1970s, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos ordered 250 indigenous families off the island so they could stock it with zebras, giraffes and other African transplants. Eventually Calauit was overrun by diseased, inbred animals.“They were a symbol of the recklessness and carelessness of wealth and power,” Greenfield tells the Post in a phone interview from her office. …

2. How wood is trending as a renewable building material, even for high-rises – but don’t expect timber skyscrapers in Hong Kong

   In some cities around the world, timber is making a comeback as a more sustainable, cost-effective construction material of choice – even for high-rise buildings.The 52-metre (170-foot) tall office building at 25 King Street in Brisbane, Australia, designed by architecture firm Bates Smart, was the tallest timber tower of its type when completed in 2018, surpassed last year by the 84.5-metre Mjostarnet in Norway, by architect Voll Arkitekter.One of Asia’s largest, slated for completion in 2021,…

3. Donald Trump’s dishonest golf game shows there’s a serial cheat in the White House, author writes

   Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, by Rick Reilly, Hachette BooksGolf is the ultimate gentleman’s game, played with honour, nobility and pride. It is a game that tests a person’s mettle, examines their character, shows how they handle adversity and what they do when a bending 30-footer somehow finds the hole.Want to find the true make-up of a person? Take them to the golf course. Want to see if they pay their taxes? Watch what they do when their ball lands in the rough. If they cheat…

4. Our top picks from the Bolshoi Theatre’s free YouTube screenings of ballet and opera amid coronavirus shutdown

   The legendary Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow will broadcast its best classic performances online for free in response to new restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus.The Bolshoi’s decision came after the Moscow mayor last Thursday ordered the closure of all non-essential services and encouraged residents to stay home.“Our country, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a very difficult time” said Vladimir Urin, general director of the Bolshoi Theatre, announcing the digital shows.“We’ve…

5. Secret Hong Kong marine police collection tells stories of piracy, war, crime – and could soon be seen by the public

   Concealed behind the metal security gates of Hong Kong’s Marine Police Headquarters is a unique collection of artefacts that tell colourful tales of piracy, war, kidnappings, smuggling and crime from 178 years of marine law enforcement in the city. The more than 400 historical items in the building in Sai Wan Ho, on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, include photographs, navigational instruments, machine guns, swords, model ships, flags, bells and cannons. Very few people have had the…

6. Hong Kong martial arts cinema: A Touch of Zen star Hsu Feng on working with King Hu, and winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes

   One of the greatest martial arts actresses of all time, Hsu Feng (or Xu Feng) is best known for her leading roles in classic King Hu movies including A Touch of Zen, The Fate of Lee Khan, and Raining in the Mountain. Born in Taiwan in 1950, Hsu auditioned for Taiwan’s Union Film Company in 1966 because she needed money to support her family. She impressed King Hu, who had left Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong to work in Taiwan, and made her debut with a small part in his smash hit Dragon Gate Inn …

7. Shock vs dread: how J-horror classic Ring (1998) compares to its 2002 Hollywood remake

   Warning: This article contains major spoilers. Directed by Hideo Nakata and based on the 1991 novel by Kozi Suzuki, the 1998 film Ring (aka Ringu) kick-started the J-horror craze of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The set-up may be simple – a cursed videotape that kills viewers seven days after watching it – but the pay-off is genuinely frightening, as murdered psychic Sadako (Rie Ino’o) crawls through the TV screen to claim her next victim. Though the film suffers from a weak heroine in the…

8. The story of Swire, British ‘hong’ in Hong Kong: a tale of empire, enterprise and family feuds

   China Bound: John Swire & Sons and Its World, 1816-1980 by Robert Bickers, 5/5 stars Swire is ubiquitous in Hong Kong and mainland China, where the conglo­merate is involved in a wide range of businesses, from property and retail mall developments to hotels, Coca-Cola bottling, Taikoo Sugar, container terminals and Cathay Pacific. Elsewhere in the world, it has business interests in several countries, from Scotland (biodiesel) to Papua New Guinea (ferry services). China Bound, a new book by…

9. Yao Ming and Kris Wu not Chinese? Online witch hunt of Chinese celebrities with foreign passports

   With nationalism at an all-time high in China amid the global coronavirus pandemic, a frenzy to catch out stars for having foreign nationality has gripped the entertainment industry. In the face of accusations that they are foreign nationals, numerous stars have come out to dispel the rumours and proclaim they are Chinese nationals.They include farmer-turned-showbiz tycoon Zhao Benshan, who said this week he had never emigrated to Canada, as claimed by the media. “This is fake [news] … My whole…

10. Vietnam war art collected over 30 years paints a very different picture of communist fighters

    Ambushed and captured by Vietnamese communist guerillas, French journalist Georges Petwhenier was one of the few Westerners to see Viet Cong fighters in their element as they fought US soldiers and their South Vietnamese allies during the Vietnam war. He described their jungle sanctuary in an article in The New York Times published in 1964.“In comparison with the Vietnamese jungle, the bayous of [US state] Louisiana are like an English garden. Tormented by mosquitoes, ants and ticks, one must…