“A Better Tomorrow” Film Screening & Musical Performance

Experience landmark Hong Kong action film, A Better Tomorrow, on the big screen at The Cinematheque. This classic comes alive with a special performance of its iconic theme by concert pianist Herbert Kwan, blending cinematic power with a live piano arrangement.

Released in 1986, John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow sent shockwaves through the Hong Kong film industry, launching a wave of so-called heroic bloodshed films that emulated its combination of balletic gunplay and emotionally charged storytelling. Tracing the relationship between two brothers on opposite sides of the law, A Better Tomorrow and its two sequels pushed action cinema to new heights of bullet-riddled excess, while establishing breakout star Chow Yun-fat as an international icon of cool.

Young Steinway Artist Herbert Kwan is a Vancouver-based composer, pianist, and music educator recognized for blending classical training with innovative contemporary approaches. In addition to his creative work, Herbert has served as a judge for the SING! China Canada Finals and was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal by the Government of Canada (2025) for his contributions to the arts.

The special screening coincides with the exhibition Dream Factory: Cantopop, Mandopop 1980s–2000, currently on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum. 

Event Details:

• Date: Friday, December 5, 2025

• Location: The Cinematheque (1131 Howe Street)

• Time & Schedule:
  6:30 P.M. – Doors Open
  7 to 7:20 P.M. – Live Piano Performance by Herbert Kwan: A Better Tomorrow
  7:25 to 9 P.M. – Film Screening: A Better Tomorrow

• Cost: $20/ticket
  *GST not included

• Register: Registration link here (via The Cinematheque)

*In Cantonese with English subtitles.

This screening is co-presented with the Cinematheque.