The Arch (Chinese: 董夫人) is a 1968 Hong Kong drama film directed by Tang Shu Shuen. The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 42nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Contents
Cast
Lisa Lu as Madame Tung
Roy Chiao as Captain Yang
Szu-yun Chen
Yu-Kuan Chen
Hilda Chow Hsuan as Wei-Ling
Po Hu
Ying Lee as Chang
Yui Liang as Monk
Tang Shu Shuen
Production
The Arch was loosely based on a short story by Lin Yutang. Tang developed the story a couple of years after graduating from the University of Southern California. As a wholly neophyte director with no credentials, Tang leaned on her connections to Jeanette Lin Chui, a friend and classmate of Tang's sister, to help circulate the script amongst the studios in Hong Kong. Eventually, she was able to book the Cathay Organisation film studio, who stipulated she use their roster of actors. In addition, Tang brought on fellow USC student Les Blank as editor, and was able to enlist the help of cinematographer Subrata Mitra through her friends' connections.
Reception
Variety reviewed the film at the San Francisco Film Festival's "New Director Series" on 31 October 1968, describing the film as ""a sensitively photographed, professionally-made story," and praising Subrata Mitra (also Satyajit Ray's cinematographer) as "exceptional."