The new Hong Kong directors faced the same problem as their counterparts in China mainland and Taiwan, which was how to instigate a break with tradition (Li, 1994, p.160). However, different from mainland and Taiwan, Hong Kong film directors had a different problem to face, in how to assert themselves individually despite the impact from both the British colony culture and the larger family of Chinese cinema, and to make Hong Kong films (mostly Cantonese cinema) individually represent the Cantonese culture (ibid., p.161).
Growing up in a Hong Kong style education, most of the new Hong Kong directors had undergone vocational training in film schools in the West and had the opportunity to display their talents in television before they entered the film industry (ibid., p.160). They could view problems or societal issues from the Hong Kong perspective, but also through a more international expression. Their representatives were Ann Hui (Boat People and Love in a Fallen City), Allen Fong (Father and Son), Tsui Hark (Dangerous Encounter), Yim Ho (Homecoming) and Johnny Mak (Long Arm of the Law). These films seek a balance between commercial success and art innovation. The use of new film structure and skills strongly impacted on the Hong Kong film industry; their film features were accepted by both critics and ordinary audiences well.
However, this new wave did not last long. By the middle of 1980s, many of the new wave directors surrendered to commercial pressure and turned to making films wholly catering to the box office crowd. At that time, Wong Kar-wai had just left TV and entered the film industry as a script writer. He must have been aware of these new wave directors' hesitations between commercial genre films and their own creative aspirations. Wong says: "the situation [Hong Kong] doesn't allow you to sit and write about something you really want to write about, and then carry it around trying to sell it.
