Acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Shi Nan-sun dies at 75

Renowned Hong Kong film producer Shi Nan-sun, who was behind the city’s classic cinematic works such as Infernal Affairs, has died following infections that resulted in multiple organ failure. She was 75.

Shi’s death was announced on Monday night by her studio Film Workshop Company, which said the veteran filmmaker died peacefully at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital at 8.51pm on Monday.

Shi “had been in declining health since 2022 due to complications affecting her immune system. In recent months, recurrent infections resulted in multiple organ dysfunction,” the company said in a statement.

“She was surrounded by her family and loved ones in her final moments,” the company added.

Acclaimed Hong Kong film director Tsui Hark, Shi’s ex-husband, said outside the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital on Monday night that Shi had “fought till the end of her life.”

“She and her family have all along been very grateful to everybody for their care, support and blessings. She hopes that the sadness towards her passing… can be turned into strength and warmth,” Tsui told reporters in Cantonese.

“May she rest in peace and may her spirit forever remain with us,” he added.

In a statement published in the early hours of Tuesday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law expressed sorrow over Shi’s passing and extended condolences to her family.

“Shi dedicated her life to the film and TV industry, leaving behind precious cinematic memories for Hong Kong people. We will always remember her extraordinary contributions to Hong Kong’s film and TV industry,” Law said in the statement.

The veteran filmmaker produced and distributed some of the Hong Kong’s most well-known films, including A Chinese Ghost Story, Once upon a Time in China, and Infernal Affairs.

She was regarded as an important contributor to the rise of the “Hong Kong New Wave” cinema movement in the late 1970s, financing the works of filmmakers like Tsui and promoting them to an international audience.

She and Tsui were jointly awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards, which was held in April last year.

Memorial and funeral arrangements for Shi will be announced in due course, Film Workshop Company said.