Page 524 of 606
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
451
deliver their speeches now before going on with the proposed arrangement. Will Mr. WONG Kwok-hing speak please?
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):—I want to respond when my memory is fresh. Mr. Albert Lai said that when deliberating on a memorial gallery for Bruce LEE, he had considered whether he was a symbol of perfection and the controversy surrounding his death.
I think he has dragged the focus of the matter too far. We propose to remember Bruce LEE not because he was a perfect man. We are not electing a saint and we should not dwell on the kind of positive or negative reports at his death or whether the ratio of his merits to demerits should be 5:5 or 3:7. We should keep to the spirit of the original motion in considering the contribution of Bruce LEE to the local film industry and martial art circle, his impact on society and his far-reaching influence in various corners of the world tens of years after his death. The proposal to set up a memorial gallery for Bruce LEE should be considered on the basis of his contribution as stated above. I think Mr. LAI has just pushed to the extreme and led this Council to a dead end.
On comparison, I feel that today's original motion is more down to earth than the amendment. A gallery to commemorate celebrities is a big topic. The original motion does not seek to realize that concept. When we speak of a gallery for celebrities, we are easily led to think of Madame Tussaud's Museum in England or the Hall of Fame in Hollywood. Reportedly, too many celebrities are featured in them so that they have to be rebuilt to accommodate more stars. Indeed, stars featured in the above places are international celebrities. It takes large investment and spacious grounds to house them. The Film Archive we are speaking of will not as yet reach that standard. As such, I think it is appropriate for the original motion to suggest the setting up of a Bruce LEE memorial gallery in the Film Archive which will be completed soon.
On the other hand, if the amended motion is carried and we set about setting up a hall of fame for film celebrities, we do not have the resources and objective conditions to do so yet. If the amended motion is carried, we need to widely collect information on people who have contributed to kungfu-type films. Deliberation and detailed planning are necessary. The amendment and original motion are based on different concepts and they cover different scopes. If the amended motion is carried, I don't think we can set up a gallery simply, effectively and without complicating the matter as suggested in the original motion.
The original motion suggests a Bruce LEE gallery to commemorate one person with international fame. Bruce LEE's roots are in Hong Kong. It is easier for us to gather information about him here. I feel that the suggestion will win the support of the film and martial art circles here easily. With their cooperation in this new venture, we can increase the attraction of Hong Kong.
Page 524 of 606
Page 524 of 606
Page 524 of 606