Born in 1958 in Shanghai, Wong Kar-Wai moved to Hong Kong with his parents at the age of five. He entered the Hong Kong film industry as a screenwriter.

His directorial debut As Tears Go By established his strong visual style and announced him as an upcoming talent in the industry. The film was invited to the Critics' Week section of the Cannes Film Festival in 1989.

In 1990, Wong assembled a cast of the most popular young actors in Hong Kong to make Days of Being Wild, set in a vividly imagined 1960. The project was planned as a diptych, but the second part was never made. The film won five Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor (Leslie Cheung).

In 1992 Wong convened another all-star cast to make Ashes of Time, a martial arts drama shot in remote regions of China. Nearly two years in production, the film premiered at the 1994 Venice Film Festival. During a break in the film's post-production Wong made Chungking Express, which became a huge, popular success in many countries.

His next film was Fallen Angels (1995), which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim.

Happy Together (1997) was largely shot in Argentina, with pick-up shots in Taipei. The film premiered in the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Director prize.

In the Mood for Love reunites Wong with two of his favourite actors, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. Set in the early 1960's, the film was shot in Hong Kong, Thailand and at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. 

Wong is currently working on his first sci-fi film, 2046. The film is being shot in various Asian countries with an international cast.

Filmography