The screening on 25 July will be introduced by Andrew Heskins, film critic and founder of easternKicks.com, who will also lead a post-screening film discussion.

Once a Thief stands as one of John Woo’s final Hong Kong productions before his move to Hollywood in 1993, and a delightful departure from his signature heroic bloodshed films. Inspired in part by François Truffaut’s Jules and Jim, the film reworks the emotional dynamics of the French classic into a breezy, globe-trotting adventure, blending action, romance, comedy, and suspense with Woo’s hallmark fascination with friendship and loyalty.

Shot across Hong Kong and France, it brings together three superstars - Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, and Cherie Chung -at the height of their fame, whose sparkling on-screen chemistry lies at the heart of the film’s enduring appeal. This screening is presented in a restored version.

Joe (Chow Yun-fat), James (Leslie Cheung), and Cherie (Cherie Chung) are three orphans raised by a criminal mentor and groomed to become master jewel thieves. Bound by a lifelong friendship that gradually gives way to more complicated feelings, the trio navigate a world of deception, danger, and divided loyalties…

Supported by the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office London.

Cast:
Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-Fat, Cherie Chung