A Simple Life

For other uses, see Simple Life (disambiguation).

A Simple Life
Original Hong Kong film poster
Directed byAnn Hui
Screenplay bySusan Chan
Roger Lee
Story byRoger Lee
Produced byRoger Lee
Ann Hui
Jessica Chan
StarringAndy Lau
Deanie Ip
CinematographyYu Lik-wai
Edited byKwong Chi-leung
Manda Wai
Music byLaw Wing-fai
Production
companies
Distributed byDistribution Workshop
Release dates
  • 5 September 2011 (2011-09-05) (Venice[1])
  • 8 March 2012 (2012-03-08) (China)
  • 9 March 2012 (2012-03-09) (Hong Kong)
Running time
118 minutes
CountriesHong Kong
China
LanguageCantonese
Budget¥30 million
(US$5.4 million)[2]
Box officeUS$6,202,317[3][4]

A Simple Life (Chinese: 桃姐; Jyutping: Tou4 Ze2[5]), also known as Sister Peach, is a 2011 Hong Kong drama film directed by Ann Hui and starring Andy Lau and Deanie Ip.[6] Ip, in the lead role of Sister Peach, won the Best Actress Award at the 68th Venice International Film Festival.[7] Originally, Hui considered retiring after making this film. However, due to the film's success, she changed her mind and went on to work on other projects.

Lau and Ip had not worked together since 1999's Prince Charming. Production of the film officially began during Chinese New Year. It was filmed in Mei Foo Sun Chuen.[8] Production was wrapped on 6 April 2011 after two months of filming.[9] The film competed in the 68th Venice International Film Festival.[10] It was also selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards,[11][12] but it did not make the final shortlist.[13] A Simple Life was an official selection for competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, where it won 4 awards. Deanie Ip won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her role in this film. She is the first Hong Konger to win this prize. In March, she also became the first Hong Konger to win the Asian Film Award for Best Actress. At the same event, director Ann Hui became the first woman to win the Lifetime Achievement Award. At the 31st Hong Kong Film Awards Ceremony, A Simple Life won 5 major prizes (film, director, screenplay, actor, actress), repeating what happened with Hui's Summer Snow in 1996. Ann Hui has won Best Director (4 times) more than anyone else at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Ip is the oldest Best Actress recipient (64 years old at the time of her win).

  1. ^ "Andy Lau and Deanie Ip's "A Simple Life" Premieres at Venice Film Festival to Standing Ovation". TVB News blog
  2. ^ Frater, Patrick (2 March 2011). "Lau and Ip reunite for Sister Peach". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  3. ^ "A Simple Life (2012)". Box Office Mojo. IMDB. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Hong Kong Yearly Box Office (2012)". Box Office Mojo. IMDB. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  5. ^ "節目重溫". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  6. ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 133. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  7. ^ "Deanie Ip on 'A Simple Life' and Winning at Venice". The Wall Street Journal. 11 September 2011.
  8. ^ "ANDY LAU AND DEANIE IP TEAM UP TO PLAY MASTER AND SERVANT". 24 February 2011.
  9. ^ "[2011.04.06] ANDY LAU CHANTS LONG LIVE HONG KONG FILM". 5 April 2011.
  10. ^ "A Simple Life to compete in 68th Venice Film Festival".
  11. ^ "Hong Kong makes it Simple". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  12. ^ "63 Countries Vie for 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  13. ^ "9 Foreign Language Films Vie for Oscar". Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.