Susie Au
Susie Au Suet-yee (simplified Chinese: 区雪儿; traditional Chinese: 區雪兒), is an award-winning film-maker and versatile based in Hong Kong. Her works include T.V. commercials, music videos, feature films, documentaries and multi-installations.
Susie Au Suet-yee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Education | State University of New York |
| Occupation | Director, multi-installation artist, photographer, theatre director |
| Years active | 1993–present |
She is noted for her stunning visual styles. She innovates electrifying exotic imagery that has stormed the music video field and the karaoke pubs in the region. Her work in music videos has earned her comparisons with Western contemporaries; "Au is Hong Kong's answer to the likes of American director Spike Jonze (Adaptation.) and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) from France."
Susie lives in Hong Kong, Beijing, Berlin, San Francisco. Besides making advertising films, music videos, she is writing films; feature and short. Still striving to work outside of the box; as creative director, photographer, installation artist and theatre director.
She states,
Wherever I am, I film with my movie camera.
Whenever I don't have the movie camera, I film with my still camera.
My indulgence is to create images that evoke and provoke.
To create dreams and to recreate the reality.
Early life and education
Susie Au studied film-making at the State University of New York. She had directed short films in different genres during her stay in New York such as Among Fragments, Moon Chase, The Dream In New Orleans and etc. She returned to Hong Kong with her awarded short film, To Hide and Seek.
Career
Music videos
She has directed over one hundred music videos and has been a long-time collaborator with popular musician Faye Wong (王菲) and alternative pop singer Anthony Wong (黃耀明).[1] Other artists who have collaborated with Susie on more than one occasion include best album selling pop singers; Jacky Cheung (張學友), Eason Chan (陳奕迅), Andy Lau (劉德華), Joey Yung (容祖兒), Jeff Chang (張信哲), Miriam Yeung (楊千嬅), Grasshopper (草蜢), Mavis Fan (范曉萱), F4, Ellen Loo (盧凱彤), Tam Wai Wai (譚維維), Shirley Kwan (關淑怡), Ivana Wong (王苑之), Kary Ng (吳雨霏) and more.
Her works with Anthony Wong and Faye Wong won her gold awards from the Chicago International Film Festival. Faye Wong's Half Way (半途而廢) won the Best MTV Video Music Award. Mavis Fan's Why, Jeff Chang's True Love (用情) and Jacky Cheung's Web of Love (情網) were nominated for the Best Music Video of the year.
Susie is now taken as the region's M.V. guru, her visual style is noted for uniquely feminine, romantic yet innovative and electrifying. Also, most of the videos have become the region's karaoke classic; mass culture.
Films
Susie founded Handmade Films to diversify her visual adventure in different forms. She started directing T.V. commercials; mostly about contemporary women's life-style and fashion-oriented. Not only is Susie a rare female director in the region, she is also the first Chinese director to direct Christian Dior's first-launched T.V.C. in the China market.
Susie states her ambition is to create and recreate, enjoys filming on the set and never gets bored in the editing suite. Among all other projects, she inspired the music industry to create various music projects; Susie is a pioneer in music documentaries, collaborating with musicians to create innovative visuals for concerts and experimental films.
In 2005, Susie made a forty-five-minute musical film Moon Wall (牆前明月光); produced by now.com.hk, starring Karena Lam (林嘉欣) and Rebecca Pan (潘迪華). Written by GC Goo-Bi, music by Peter Kam (金培達). The film premiered at United Artist Cinema at Langham.
In 2007, Susie made her first feature debut Ming Ming, starring Zhou Xun (周迅), Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) and Tony Yang (楊祐寧). The film selected to be screened in Pusan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai International Film Festival, the film gets reviewed as "Run Lola Run meets new generation's wuxia… "; "Ming Ming's world, one which contains fantasy martial arts elements, the magical realism which set in today's contemporary era." Ming Ming was released in China, Hong Kong and Taipei simultaneously. The film marked an unusual independent film effort to create a China-Hong Kong-Taiwan alliance before the huge film market developed.
In 2008, Susie directed a 45-minute short titled Moving On, in which the scene of Eason Chan casually humming along the abandoned back in fact expanding on the director's continual themes on nostalgic and alienated emotion to Hong Kong.
In 2010, collaborating with pop legend Faye Wong, Susie created a music documentary titled Faye Reborn.
In 2011, Susie was invited by mainstream director Jeff Lau (劉鎮偉) to be the Music Director for East Meets West 2011 (東成西說 2011). Not only Susie directed a few musical scenes, she has revived the classic songs for film and created an emotional sound track.
In 2012, Susie directed and scripted Beauty University (美麗大學); starring Shu Qi (舒淇). It is the story written about contemporary Chinese women. It is rarely found in China viro on short drama driven by visuals than dialogue. The film is a visual meditation on the values of modern living and marriage. It is well received in China during the launch.
In 2013, Susie is invited by Juno Mak (麥俊龍) to direct the music video of "Poison Love" with Zombie Boy (Rick Genest).
In 2014, Susie focused on developing her feature film scripts and installation art projects.
In 2015, her new film project Crazy Girls Dancing Club (working title) was selected by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and invited as a resident artist in Berlin.
In 2016, Susie was invited to Berlin by Nipkow Programme as artist in residence to create TV series. In this year, Susie also created and directed a multimedia-dance-theatre Utopia, Momentarily. Partnering with lyricist Chow Yiu Fai (周耀輝) and musician Vicky Fung Wing Ki (馮穎琪), the project was sponsored by Hong Kong New Vision Arts Festival, after one and half year's endeavour, Utopia, Momentarily launched in Kwai Ching Theatre in November 2016. Not only pop singers like Anthony Wong (黃耀明), Juno Mak (麥俊龍), Eman Lam (林二汶) and Yoyo Sham (岑寧兒) were invited to perform the songs, the project involved many first endeavours for the festival. Not only Susie is the theatre director, she also created and designed all the visuals for the project. Utopia, Momentarily was highly acclaimed from both the pop and theatre field.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Artist | Genre | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Poison Love | Director | Juno Mak, Zombie Boy | Experimental Film | |
| 2012 | Beauty University | Director, Scriptwriter | Shu Qi | Short Drama | |
| 2012 | Faye Reborn | Director | Faye Wong | Music Documentary | |
| 2011 | East Meets West 2011 | Music Director | Eason Chan, Karen Mok and Kenny B | Musical Feature | |
| 2008 | Moving On | Director | Eason Chan | Music Documentary | |
| 2008 | Les Dancer | Director | Short Documentary | Commissioned by a Hong Kong local fashion brand Bread n Butter | |
| 2007 | Duo | Director | Eason Chan | Music Documentary | |
| 2007 | Ming Ming | Director | Zhou Xun, Daniel Wu and Tony Yang | Feature Film | Selected for I see it my way series in the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival and was officially screened in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. |
| 2007 | Two Women, One Heart | Director | Chan Fai Young | Experimental Film | For 12 Faces of Women Concert |
| 2004 | Moon Wall | Director | Karena Lam and Rebecca Pan | Musical Film | Commissioned by now.com.hk |
| 2004 | Fable 4:30pm | Director | Short Drama | Selected by PPP (Pusan Promotion Plan) | |
| 1995 | Merry Christmas | Director | Faye Wong | Music Documentary | |
| 1993 | To Hide and Seek | Director | Short Drama | Selected by the 16th Hong Kong International Film Festival |
Installation art/theatre work
| Year | Title | Collaboration | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Silent Emotion" with Bruno Walpoth | Hangzhou Arts Museum | Video Installation Artist |
| 2017 | "World in Daze, Woman in Wind" | Artopia Gallery (Beijing) | Photographer, Multi-Installation Artist |
| 2016 | Utopia, Momentarily Multimedia Theatre | Chow Yiu Fai, Vicky Fung Wing Ki, Anthony Wong, Juno Mak, Eman Lam and Yoyo Sham | Theatre Director, Visual Director, Multi-Installation Artist |
| 2013 | Out of the Box on Juno Mak, Renaissance Man on SK Lam, King of the Toy on Michael Lau | Elle Men | Creative Director/ Photographer |
| 2012 | Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour | Jacky Cheung | Multi-Installation Artist |
| 2012 | Turn On the Concert | Tat Ming Pair | Film Director, Multi-Installation Artist |
| 2008 | Artists Series - Les Dancer | Bread n Butter | Photographer |
| 2007 | Tian Tian Xiang Shang Comic Exhibition in Shanghai | Danny Yung (榮念曾) | Video Installation Artist |
| 2007 | Music Adventure – Ming Ming X Susie Au Music Journey | Hennessy And Times Square | Installation Artist |
| 2006 | HA! Read MV! | Basheer Design Books HK, Agnes b, Sony | Video Installation Artist |
| 1997 | Toy | Faye Wong | Album Cover Photographer |
Awards and nominations
Music videos
| Year | Song | Artist | Awards and Nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Why | Mavis Fan | Nominated for the Best MTV-19th Annual Taiwan GMA |
| 1998 | Don't Bother | Faye Wong | Best MTV of the Year - Metro City Radio Station Pop Songs Awards
Best MTV of the Year - Taiwan Channel V MTV Awards |
| 1997 | True Love | Jeff Chang | Nominated for the Best MTV of Asia - MTV Channel |
| 1996 | Di-Dar | Faye Wong | Winner of Silver Plaque Award - The 32nd Chicago International Film Festival Music Video Awards |
| 1996 | Before the Sunrise | Anthony Wong | Winner of Merit Award - The 32nd Chicago International Film Festival Music Video Awards |
| 1994 | Love of No Night | Anthony Wong | Winner of Gold Plaque Award - The 30th Chicago International Film Festival Music Video Awards |
| 1993 | You and I | Annie Leung | Winner of the Golden Plaque Award - The CCTV Annual MTV Awards |
| 1993 | Web of Love | Jacky Cheung | Nominated for the Best MTV of Asia - MTV Channel |
TV commercials
| Year | Title | Client | Awards and Nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | As Tears Go By | Haier | Mobius Award |
| 2007 | Small S, My attitude | Clear shampoo | Effie Award for Best Performance |
| 2003 | Gor Yin Hai - "P.E. Class" | Vita | Hong Kong 4As Creative Awards, Merit Award for the Best Single TV Commercial - Alcoholic/Non-Alcoholic Beverage |
| 2003 | Gor Yin Hai - "P.E. Class" | Vita | 11th Times International Chinese Advertising Awards, Silver Award - Non-Alcoholic Beverage |
| 2003 | Gor Yin Hai - "Basketball" | Vita | 11th Times International Chinese Advertising Awards, Silver Award - Non-Alcoholic Beverage |
| 2001 | Hot Vitasoy - "Cold Orange" | Vita | Hong Kong 4As Creative Awards, Silver Award for the Best Single TV Commercial - Alcoholic/Non-Alcoholic Beverage |
| 2001 | $8 Promotion | McDonald's | Hong Kong 4As Creative Awards, Silver Award for the Best TV Campaign |
| 1998 | Imagery | Bank of East Asia | Hong Kong 4As Creative Awards, Finalist for the Banking/Financial TV Commercial |
References
- "Zhou Xun, Anthony Wong shoot 'Ming Ming' music video". China Radio International. March 28, 2007. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
