Last year, director Wong Kar-wai introduced “In the Mood for Love” NFT at an auction, marking a new chapter in the collaboration between the Asian film industry and the virtual art industry. This year, internationally renowned photographer Wing Shya continues to bring films into the metaverse, launching a collection of NFTs themed around classic Hong Kong films in June, much to the delight of film fans!
This project is curated by Michael Hui and jointly launched by Hong Kong startup BEAM+ LAB and Mei Ah Entertainment Group Limited (Mei Ah Entertainment). Mei Ah Entertainment, as the Hong Kong entertainment and film distribution company with the most film copyrights and intellectual property rights in Asia, has a library of more than 600 films. These NFT collections will be exclusively authorized and created by them. “CRYPTYQUES” will be first released in blind box form on the official website in June 2022, followed by a unique auction.
“CRYPTYQUES” uses NFT as a medium to recreate classic movie moments from Hong Kong. The collection will be released in 3 phases, representing the “past,” “present,” and “future” of life cycles. The first series of the collection will explore the “seven emotions” of humans, kicking off the “past” phase. This includes “Desire,” “Fury,” “Fear,” “Joy,” “Bitterness,” “Loathe,” and “Love.” Each emotion will be transformed into an NFT through a reinterpretation of a specific movie.
The “Seven Emotions” series kicks off with “Desire,” drawing inspiration from 1980s films that reflect this intense emotion, and will release a total of 1,320 NFTs. Co-created by Xia Yongkang and Hollywood production team, the works will be presented to the audience in 3D animated videos.
Scenes include Tony Leung’s appearance in a nightclub in “Days of Being Wild” (1989), showcasing his character’s longing for his dream lover; the intimate scene between Cherie Chung and Leslie Cheung on a tram in “Nomad” (1982), as well as Leslie Cheung’s half-naked scene, fully displaying the emotional desires of people in that era, and the director’s interpretation of desire at that time.
“CRYPTYQUES” freezes the classic movie scenes of the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, allowing us to reminisce about past popular culture and era language. If you are interested in collecting, remember to stay tuned for the latest official release news!
Image source and learn more: CRYPTYQUES
