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Music
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A poster for Dear You, an independent film set in Chaoshan, Guangdong province, which has become an unexpected box office hit in China. Photo: Handout
China’s film industry

How a tiny indie movie sparked a major tourist boom in southern China

Made on a shoestring budget, the hit drama Dear You has triggered a surge of interest in the history of southern China’s Teochew diaspora.

Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Colony: Jun Ji-hyun returns in slick but empty zombie thriller

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | All of a Sudden: Ryusuke Hamaguchi wows with Paris-set drama

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Music

Why Stranger Things star Maya Hawke actually likes her new album for once

Maya Hawke talks about her fourth album, Maitreya Corso, which she made with husband Christian Lee Hutson, and life after Stranger Things.

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US actress Maya Hawke arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. Photo: AFP
US actress Maya Hawke arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. Photo: AFP
Korean drama reviews

Review | The Wonderfools: Park Eun-bin lifts fun but flawed superhero K-drama

Korean drama The Wonderfools mixes comedy, romance and action as three misfits gain superpowers and grapple with a sinister conspiracy.

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Asian cinema

Review | Parallel Tales: Asghar Farhadi misfires with latest French excursion

This tale of voyeurism in Paris, starring Vincent Cassel, Virginie Efira and Isabelle Huppert, lacks any tension or romantic intrigue.

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American cinema

How Hollywood turned China’s Boxer rebellion into a racist Western

55 Days at Peking (1963) paints the historical event as an Orientalist Alamo, while white actors ‘yellowface’ as the main Chinese characters.

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(From left) Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven in a still from 55 Days at Peking. The 1963 Hollywood epic about China’s Boxer rebellion looks the part with stunning sets, but ultimately casts China as a colonial outpost to be squabbled over by white people.
(From left) Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven in a still from 55 Days at Peking. The 1963 Hollywood epic about China’s Boxer rebellion looks the part with stunning sets, but ultimately casts China as a colonial outpost to be squabbled over by white people.
Chinese culture

Why Chinese-Canadian Derek Kwan is so much more than a ‘token Asian’ actor

As Hallmark’s mahjong movie faces a backlash, actor Derek Kwan talks about championing authentic Asian narratives by making his own films.

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this rainy weekend, May 15-17

Check out the Affordable Art Fair, enjoy pickleball and Pilates to the sounds of Justin Bieber or get into the spirit at the Hong Kong Whisky Festival.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Nagi Notes: Koji Fukada ponders the meaning of art in wartime

Featuring nuanced performances and beautiful camerawork, Nagi Notes asks what art should mean in the chaotic world we live in.

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Takako Matsu as the sculptor Yoriko (front) and Shizuka Ishibashi as her model in a still from Nagi Notes, which played in the 2026 Cannes Film Festival’s main competition.
Korean drama reviews

The Legend of Kitchen Soldier: Park Ji-hoon strikes again in winning military comedy K-drama

Park Ji-hoon stars as an army recruit who has hallucinations and is assigned to kitchen duty, where he shows unusual cooking talents.

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Park Ji-hoon as Kang Seong-jae in a still from HBO Max K-drama The Legend of Kitchen Soldier. Han Dong-hee and Lee Sang-yi co-star.
Park Ji-hoon as Kang Seong-jae in a still from HBO Max K-drama The Legend of Kitchen Soldier. Han Dong-hee and Lee Sang-yi co-star.
Korean drama reviews

My Royal Nemesis: Lim Ji-yeon leads period-infused fantasy romcom K-drama

Lim Ji-yeon stars as a modern-day struggling actress who becomes unwittingly possessed by the soul of a Joseon royal concubine.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

How The King’s Warden sold 16 million tickets and saved the Korean box office

Producer Lim Eun-jung, director Jang Hang-jun and actor Yoo Hae-jin explain why the historical drama struck a chord with Korean audiences.

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World of performing arts

A female Hamlet, a BMW-driving Hamlet: how Shakespeare’s play is having a moment

Fresh, vibrant and inclusive, new Hamlet productions are part of a wave of interest in the Shakespearean tragedy seen from stages to TikTok.

Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera performs in the role of Hamlet at the National Theatre in London on September 25, 2025. Photo: AP
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | A Man and a Woman: Hong Kong-set quarantine drama is a tough watch

Neighbouring hotel guests develop a relationship over the course of their 21-day quarantine in Hong Kong in Guan Hu’s pandemic-set drama.

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Ni Ni (left) and Huang Bo in a still from A Man and A Woman.
Ni Ni (left) and Huang Bo in a still from A Man and A Woman.
TV shows and streaming video

Daniel Dae Kim spotlights Korean culture in new travel show K-Everything

From K-pop and K-film to K-beauty and K-food, actor Daniel Dae Kim’s new travel series examines the global rise of South Korean culture.

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World of performing arts

Pioneering South Korean soprano Sumi Jo joins K-pop label, sings with Exo’s Suho

Sumi Jo opens up on great moments in her 40-year career, her new album Continuum, and why she signed with K-pop label SM Entertainment.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Lau Ching-wan’s best mid-1990s films, from Loving You to Big Bullet

Several of Lau’s mid-1990s roles strongly hinted at the greatness to come for the four-time best actor winner.

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Hong Kong actor Lau Ching-wan attends an interview with the South China Morning Post in 1996. We look at three of his best films from the mid-1990s. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong actor Lau Ching-wan attends an interview with the South China Morning Post in 1996. We look at three of his best films from the mid-1990s. Photo: SCMP
American cinema

Citizen Kane’s journey from box-office flop to greatest film of all time

Orson Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane bombed at the box office but is now hailed as a cinematic masterpiece. How did it get there?

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K-drama news

Latest K-drama casting news about Kim Hee-ae, Noh Sang-hyun and more

Kim Hee-ae and Noh Sang-hyun have signed up for Gold Digger, Kim Rae-won is confirmed for Full Count – check out the latest updates.

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | ‘I don’t want to be a diva or a billionaire’: Kay Tse’s 20-year Cantopop legacy

Cantopop singer Kay Tse’s two-decade career has been built on authenticity, a commitment to social issues and her love of Hong Kong.

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Kay Tse at the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2019. Photo: Sam Tsang
Music

Hong Kong reggae festival to celebrate 10 years with a Jamaican music legend

Hong Kong International Reggae Ska Festival planner Paul Thompson shares why the city jives with Jamaican music and 2026’s ambitious line-up.

The Wailers perform at the Hong Kong International Reggae Ska Festival 2024, near the Hong Kong Observation Wheel in Central. Organiser Paul Thompson talks about how the event has “snowballed” in recent years ahead of its 10th edition, taking place at PMQ on May 30, 2026. Photo: Lusher Photography
The Wailers perform at the Hong Kong International Reggae Ska Festival 2024, near the Hong Kong Observation Wheel in Central. Organiser Paul Thompson talks about how the event has “snowballed” in recent years ahead of its 10th edition, taking place at PMQ on May 30, 2026. Photo: Lusher Photography
Fame and celebrity

As David Attenborough turns 100, the star naturalist’s ‘unequalled’ impact

We look at Attenborough’s unique ability to tell nature’s story through his BBC shows on evolution to ocean plastic as he turns 100 on May 8.

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American cinema

Review | Mortal Kombat II: Karl Urban leads brainless, outdated action sequel

Little more than a series of cartoonish ultra-violent vignettes, Mortal Kombat II feels as antiquated as the amulet the characters chase.

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TV shows and streaming video

Weekly releases vs bingeing: what will win? How streamers are changing models

Apple TV and HBO Max are among streamers experimenting with releasing single episodes of series a week, but will the strategy stick?

Squid Game (pictured), Bridgerton and The Queen’s Gambit are among Netflix’s most-watched series, and drew millions of binge-viewers during the pandemic. But now more streamers are experimenting with a weekly release strategy, such as HBO Max with its hit show The Pitt. Photo: Netflix
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