Photo: derivative work: Tabercil (talk) Wong Kar-wai at 2008 TIFF.jpg: lukeisback.com / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on July 17, 1958 in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, Wong Kar-wai is a film director, screenwriter and film producer. That puts Wong Kar-wai at 68 years old in 2026. Schooling on record includes Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Awards on record include Bronze Bauhinia Star, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director, Cannes Best Director Award (1997) and 5 more.
My Take
For me Wong Kar-wai is less a director than a conjurer of moods. Born in Shanghai, raised in Hong Kong as a kind of internal exile, he poured that rootless ache into images nobody else could make. In the Mood for Love alone, those slow-motion glances and neon-soaked corridors, is enough to justify a lifetime of acclaim, and the Cannes, César, and Arts et Lettres honors only confirm what the eye already knows. He tells stories through cigarette smoke, rain, and unfulfilled longing rather than plot, often shooting without a finished script. That tightrope approach should fail constantly. Instead it yields masterpieces, and he remains the Hong Kong filmmaker I revere most.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Wong Kar-wai
- Name (Japanese)
- ウォン・カーウァイ
- Reading
- うぉん・かーうぁい
- Born
- July 17, 1958 (age 68)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Dog
- Origin
- Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / film producer
2. Background
- University
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Awards & achievements
- Bronze Bauhinia Star
- Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director
- 1997 Cannes Best Director Award
- 2001 César Award for Best Foreign Film
- 2013 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1991 Golden Horse Award for Best Director
- 2014 Asian Film Award for Best Director
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Wong Kar-wai born?
Born July 17, 1958 (age 68).
Where is Wong Kar-wai from?
Wong Kar-wai is from Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
What does Wong Kar-wai do?
Wong Kar-wai works as film director, screenwriter, film producer.
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