Elegies (film)

Elegies (Chinese: 詩) is a 2023 Hong Kong documentary film directed by Ann Hui. Produced by PicaPica Media and distributed by Golden Scene, the film features interviews with various Hong Kong poets, most notably Huang Canran and Liu Wai-tong, along with footage of the late Xi Xi and Leung Ping-kwan. The film dissects the daily lives of Hong Kong poets and examines their views on poetry, exploring the decline of Hong Kong's poetry culture.

Intending to create a documentary about classical Chinese poetry during her early filmmaking career in the 1970s, Ann Hui cited various challenges that hindered her progress. She revisited the project during the COVID-19 pandemic, and began writing the outline and conducting research starting in 2020. Principal photography took place from March to September 2021 in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Taipei, where she interviewed migrated poets Huang and Liu. Post-production lasted several additional months, with input from William Chang, who also handled the colour grading.

The film had its world premiere on 30 March 2023 as the opening film of the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release in Hong Kong on 23 November. It received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature in the 60th Golden Horse Awards and garnered positive reviews from critics, who praised its subject matter, tone, and narrative approach.