Hong Kong pickpockets open show at Osian's

Producer-director Johnny To, whose film about a gang of pickpocketers opened the 10th Osian's- Cinefan Film Festival here is optimistic that the recession faced by the movie industry worldwide will soon be over and filmmakers would create more films catering to the changing tastes of audiences.

In the capital for the ongoing festival that began on July 10, To's 'Sparrow' departs from his usual style of gangster sagas to present a comic breezy film about a gang of four brothers all pickpockets.

"After 10 years of gangster, police and action movies the 'Sparrow' is a leap for me in a way," To says.

Explaining the choice of the film, he says, "Sparrow means a pickpocket in Hong Kong. I chose sparrow as the main subject of the film as the old city of Hong Kong is disappearing making way for this old profession of pickpockets is also slowly disappearing." "Hong Kong is mainly a city of immigrants during war and afterwards who come to the city before they move on. Today the old buildings of the city are torn down to make way for newer property development ventures that have a lot of money in it. Through Sparrow you can see the old Hong Kong," said the international director using a translator.

"In 10 years Hong Kong cinema has witnessed a lot of change. Previously there were very local movies especially comedies with formulae that were repeated endlessly. Today the films are more experimental, more personal and of course there are the traditional kung fu style of movies too," says To. PTI