raging fire

Originally published 8.16.21: From a professional standpoint, the last seventeen months were quite hectic for me. Briefly, the translation business was not slowed down in the least by the pandemic, quite the contrary. Amongst other things, I am very grateful for the work – a regular income proved to be one less worry. Work not only kept me busy and paying the bills, it contributed to keeping me sane (long daily walks also helped). The pandemic ensured my disconnection from most people, including friends and acquaintances and the interests/hobbies we share. This year, Fantasia is also part of the general disconnect. As such, I had no idea the film festival’s 25th edition would feature the Canadian Premiere of Hong Kong Director Benny Chan’s (Chan Muk-sing, October 7, 1961 – August 23, 2020) very last film, Raging Fire. Usually, I keep track of these things as martial arts and films still fascinate me in the autumn of my life. My interest with film started at a very young age with my mother Yvette introducing me to black and white films featuring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, James Cagney, the Marx Brothers, Deanna Durbin, movies we would watch on television. In my early teens, my father Georges and I were patrons of the local cinemas and watched double bills featuring the celluloid exploits of Bruce Lee, Angela Mao Ying and Jimmy Wang Yu. In my later teens and early adult years, I was drawn to films such as The Other Side of Midnight, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Logan’s Run, and The Serpent’s Egg. !

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