Overview
Stealing a Roast Duck (Chinese: 偷燒鴨; pinyin: Tōu shāo yā; Jyutping: Tau1 siu1ap3) is a silent short film directed by Liang Shao‑Bo and released in 1909. It is widely regarded by film historians as the first locally produced motion picture in Hong Kong.
Production
- Director: Liang Shao‑Bo (also credited as a performer)
- Starring: Lai Pak‑Hoi (lead role), Liang Shao‑Bo (the duck thief), Wong Chun‑man
- Production company: Asia Film and Theater Company
- Country: Hong Kong
- Language: No spoken dialogue (silent film)
Plot
The narrative follows a petty thief who steals a roasted duck from a street vendor. The theft triggers a chase that culminates in the thief’s capture by a police officer. The film’s comedic premise is built around this brief chase sequence.
Historical significance
The film marks a seminal moment in the development of Hong Kong cinema. Its production in 1909 places it at the very beginning of organized film activity in the territory, predating other early works such as Chuang Tzu (1909) and establishing a precedent for locally directed narrative shorts. Some scholars note that the film may have been shown abroad, including a reported 1917 exhibition in Los Angeles, which would make it one of the earliest Chinese films with an overseas release.
Preservation status
No surviving copies of Stealing a Roast Duck are known to exist. The original negative and any prints are believed to have been destroyed during World War II when Japanese forces repurposed nitrate film stock for explosives. Consequently, the film is classified as lost media, and its existence is sometimes questioned by researchers, although contemporary references and archival documentation substantiate its production.
References
- Wikipedia entry on Stealing a Roast Duck (accessed via archival summary).
- Scott, Matthew. “Quest for the long‑lost roast duck.” The Guardian, 5 March 2009.
- Yu, Poshek; Desser, David. The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- Kar, Law; Bren, Frank; Ho, Sam. Hong Kong Cinema: A Cross‑cultural View, Scarecrow Press, 2004.
- Aitiken, Ian. Hong Kong Documentary Film, Edinburgh University Press, 2014.