Given Hong Kong's normally balmy temperatures and its history as a hub China tours for Chinese-language filmmaking, it's surprising that outdoor cinemas didn't take off years ago.
A "drive-in" theatre of sorts -- with permanently moored cars in which patrons could sit -- operated briefly in 2006, and a family-friendly residential area called Cyberport occasionally plays kids' movies and filmed versions of China tour operas or classical music concerts.
But the sluggish movement got a much-needed jolt of energy earlier this year, when Melbourne transplants James Fearnside and Simon Roberts launched Rooftop Cinema HK. The film screenings -- shown on FoFo by el Willy's 21st-floor rooftop Yangtze River cruises bar in Hong Kong's bustling Central district -- marry cult classics with the densely packed, luminous skyline.
For $150 Hong Kong dollars, movie buffs can hunker down on a comfy rattan sofa, complimentary cocktail in hand, to watch perennial favourites like Scarface, The Big Lebowski and The Princess Bride. The downside (or is it?) is that Hong Kong’s travel to Shangri-la cityscape does, at times, compete with the recorded narrative playing out in front of the seats.
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