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Connie Chan Po-Chu

Connie Chan Po-Chu

Acting

Biography

Both of her parents being Cantonese Opera stars - Chan Fei Nung and Kung Fan Hung. Connie Chan as an actor is of undoubted pedigree and to the manner born. She learned the skills of  Cantonese Opera from her parents and after that she became an apprentice under Peking Opera master Fen Ju Hua and Cantonese Superstar Yam Kim Fai. Hence she was trained in both the Southern and Northern styles of martial arts and operas. She made her screen debut with Chun Heung Lin in 1958 and then appeared with opera legend Yam Kim Fai in the Cantonese opera film The Unroyal Prince. She was one of the most popular actresses in the sixties. In 1967  alone, she played in 32 films. Chan is a versatile actress and she can play both male and female roles. She appeared in films like costumed action movies, dramas, comedies and also musicals. An icon of young girls in the sixties, her popularity was such that she was known as the Movie Princess at that time.  Was a member of Madame Fan Fok-Fa's The Spring And Autumn Drama School's Peking Opera.

Known For

A Century of Light and Shadow

Revisit 100 years of Chinese cinema through the RTHK TV program A Century of Light and Shadow. Aired in 2005, this interesting and informative documentary traces the development of the Chinese film industry from the pioneering years to contemporary times. From the volley between Mandarin and Cantonese films to the rise of the New Wave, this program touches on all the major trends and developments that have helped define Chinese cinema and explores different genres and representative figures and films. From actors to directors, over 200 film industry names, including Jackie Chan, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Connie Chan, Andrew Lau, Peter Chan, and Lau Ching Wan, appear in the program, bringing their intimate knowledge of the industry and providing insight about what lies ahead for Chinese cinema.

A Century of Light and Shadow

2005Series
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Centring on the legend of the four ancient Chinese heroines, the film was a novelty for audiences at the time, as the singing performance was in Cantonese and used huangmei operatic rhythms—a popular trend in the 1960s, yet it retained traditional flavours by using operatic luogu percussion in the battle scenes. ‘Movie-fan princess' Connie Chan Po-chu not only sings Cantonese song and huangmei tone solos in the film, she also wows the audience by taking up the doumadanrole for the first time as the Tang dynasty female general Fan Lei-fa, showing off her superb operatic martial skills, together with Shum Chi-wah, inherited from Peking opera master Fen Ju Hua. Yu Kai's weaponry prowess and renowned female comedian Tam Lan-hing cross-dressing as a male general are also brilliant in this gem.

The Story of Heroine Fan Lei-fa

1968Movie