The Goldfinger film director says greed, financial illiteracy expose Hongkongers to scams
The Goldfinger, Hong Kong's latest box-office hit starring Tony Leung and Andy Lau, is based on a 1983 case that is still one of the city's biggest financial frauds. But it rings true even today as Hongkongers keep losing their hard-earned fortunes to scams and deceptions in their pursuit of quick riches.
The film, which was released at the end of last year, chronicles the bankrupt Carrian group under George Tan Soon-gin, which collapsed in a web of corruption and murder and inflicted severe losses on stock investors and banks.
The breadth and complexity of that crime has not diminished with passing time, and scams continue to snare fresh victims. Deception cases surged 43 per cent in 2023 and losses reached a record HK$9.18 billion (US$1.15 billion), official figures showed, including HK$5.9 billion involving investment scams.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
The Goldfinger's director and screenwriter Felix Chong Man-keung, who knew people involved in the Carrian scandal, shared his thoughts with the Post about his film and how the Carrian episode compares with today's sophisticated scams.
Felix Chong, pictured in September 2018, who directed the Cantonese blockbuster "The Goldfinger". Photo: Edmond So alt=Felix Chong, pictured in September 2018, who directed the Cantonese blockbuster "The Goldfinger". Photo: Edmond So>
What made you come up with a film based on this fraud?
I was surrounded by this kind of financial news since I was a child in the 1970s. Even then, I noticed how some people were able to become rich overnight through the stock market, only to later be burdened with huge debts.
As some of my friends' family members who worked for the Carrian Group ran away when the scandal took place, it piqued my interest in this scandalous episode of Hong Kong's financial history.
Tell us more about your filmmaking thought process?
Hong Kong is a city that allows capital to flow in and out freely, like a Colosseum where financially literate people engage in the game of money. During this process, it is easy for some people to cross a line and become involved in illegal activities when they are driven by the pursuit of profits.
Hong Kong's top actors Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau Tak-wah in a still from "The Goldfinger". Photo: Handout alt=Hong Kong's top actors Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau Tak-wah in a still from "The Goldfinger". Photo: Handout>