Ann Hui (Hui On-wah) is one of the leading figures who ushered in the Hong Kong New Wave – a new age of Hong Kong cinema that began in 1979. With a career spanning more than 4 decades and 28 feature films, Ann has cemented her name as one of the greats of Chinese language cinema. Her work often focuses on ordinary people and their daily lives, speaking to themes of human consciousness, politics and migration, and national identity.

Tune in to this episode of The School Room to hear about the ways Ann recreates authentic scenes in her films, her philosophy on giving back to society, and her concerns about Maggie Cheung playing the leading role in “Song of the Exile” (it’s not what you think!).

“Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000” is now on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown until May 2026. Monthly curator tours are available in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. To learn more or book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.

Rainbow Chan is an award-winning vocalist, producer, and multi-disciplinary artist. Since moving to Australia with her family in 1996, Rainbow has built a celebrated career while tracing her maternal roots to Weitou people—one of Hong Kong’s indigenous groups who settled in the region prior to British colonization in 1898. Her creative practice, deeply informed by ideas of homeland and diaspora, has earned her recognition as one of Australia’s most innovative contemporary musicians.

In this episode, Rainbow shares how she weaves her maternal Weitou heritage into song and performance, reflects on what her mother’s heritage language has meant for her identity and its role in broader cultural revitalization, and discusses which Cantopop artists from her childhood continue to inspire her practice today.

Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000 is now on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown until May 2026. Monthly curator tours are available in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. To learn more or book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.

Leading up to the handover of Hong Kong from British rule back to Chinese sovereignty between 1984 and 1997, over 300,000 Hong Kong people emigrated to Canada. For them, they not only brought over their families and dreams for a better future, but also the sounds of home through Cantopop and the laserdiscs of their favourite artists came to life.

On this episode of the School Room, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with Singapore born artist Ming Wong, whose artwork composed of dozens of laserdiscs takes center stage in the Chinese Canadian Museum’s new feature exhibition, "Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000." Tune in to hear about Ming and Liam Morgan’s futuristic stage installation, "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies," the inspiration behind it, and how the concept of speculative futures relates to the immigrant experience.

"Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000" is now on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver Chinatown until the end of May 2026, with special curator tours in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin occurring every month. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.