Life Style

This is the latest instalment in our From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries.In the early 2000s, buoyed by the success of Bowling for Columbine (2002) and Super Size Me (2004), documentary films became something people might actually watch. The key, it seemed, was having a larger-than-life filmmaker such as Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock front and centre.For Grizzly Man (2005), which turns 20 this month, German director Werner Herzog inserted himself into the story – none too gently – to create one of the most striking cinematic essays of the era.Though the subject is American conservationist Timothy Treadwell, Herzog is undeniably the star.Treadwell – not his real name – spent 13 summers living among the bears...

At Rùn, the Chinese fine-dining restaurant inside The St Regis Hong Kong, executive Chinese chef Hung Chi-kwong transforms a beloved Cantonese snack into a sophisticated, multisensory dish that reflects the restaurant’s philosophy of respecting tradition while exploring innovative techniques.For Hung, the dish is a combination of memory, technique and taste. His aim was to bring together the “depth of Cantonese master stock and the luxuriousness of duck liver” elevated with modern presentation. Inspired by childhood memories of family gatherings and marinated festive snacks, he sought to present these flavours at the highest level.Hung Chi-kwong, the executive Chinese chef of Rùn at The St Regis Hong Kong, was born and raised in the city. Photo: Nicholas Wong Sixteen PhotographyHung insist...

When it comes to measuring the passage of time, the Gregorian calendar tracks days, weeks, months and years to align with Earth’s orbit around the sun.This means that, for most of the world, a year is a simple, solar affair: 365 days – or 366 every four years – for the Earth to complete its journey around the sun.In contrast, the ancient Chinese also observed movements of the moon to guide their agricultural practices and cultural festivals.According to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the lunar month, the period from one new moon to the next, is roughly 29.5 days.Auspicious wedding dates in a book. A leap month is not considered an auspicious time to get married. Photo: Lisa CamTwelve of these cycles equal 354 days; roughly 11 days shorter than the solar year.

3.5/5 starsLead cast: Lee Hanee, Bang Hyo-rin, Jin Seon-kyu, Cho Hyun-chulDuring South Korea’s dark days of the early 1980s, a top star and a principled ingénue tussle with a chauvinistic producer and a stringent censorship system as they set out to make Korea’s first erotic film.That is the premise of Aema, the small-screen debut of Believer director Lee Hae-young. The lively six-part period drama series stars Lee Hanee (The Fiery Priest) and newcomer Bang Hyo-rin.Notably, Aema has stylistic and thematic shades of Kim Jee-woon’s film Cobweb, which was set against the backdrop of the equally censorship-prone 1970s Korean film industry, and Lee Won-suk’s cult comedy Killing Romance, which also starred Lee.

The taste of a dessert I ate in Istanbul, Turkey, stayed vivid in my memory for years afterwards: it was made with chocolate, sour cherries and a tiny, intensely flavoured leaf that was familiar but at the same time puzzling. I asked the waiter about it, and he said it was mint.I did not get the Latin name of this variety, nor did I buy a plant when I had the chance (it was available in all the produce markets we visited), so I do not know what type of mint it was – all I know is that it was the best I had tasted.You would not know by shopping in Hong Kong’s supermarkets, but there are hundreds of types of mint, and not all of them are created equal.Most markets carry only one type of the fresh herb – peppermint – although the label will describe it simply as “mint”.Tabbouleh is a Levantin...

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s choice of its new chief executive has stirred controversy, with an anonymous letter apparently sent to the government to protest against the selection of Austrian businessman Bernhard Fleischer being circulated online.On August 21, the orchestra announced that effective from September 1, Salzburg-born Fleischer would take over the job vacated by his German predecessor Benedikt Fohr, who left the orchestra in July after being in the job for six years.Fleischer is mostly known as an entrepreneur who founded his company, Bernhard Fleischer Moving Images, in 1998. It specialises in filming live performances of classical music, operas and dance in Europe and the US and making documentaries about the performing arts.In June, Fleischer’s company was hired by...

Have you burst into song today? You should: singing is fun, good for your health and can relieve inner tension, experts say.“Singing in the shower boosts self-confidence,” says Markus Henrik, a German author and musician who says science shows that sound reverberates in a shower, while the flow of water helps to relax you.“Singing in the shower is good for you,” says Karl Hoermann, a German music psychologist and pianist. “It’s liberating. It doesn’t matter whether you hit the notes or not. Warbling a melody makes you breathe more deeply, which brings more oxygen into your body.”A Swedish study has found that singing in a choir has a positive effect on your cardiovascular system. Your heartbeat starts to adjust to a song’s rhythm when you sing in a group, which stabilises your cardiac rhyt...

A bouncing Bollywood dance competition, a limited-edition sandwich that marries the best of Filipino and Cantonese flavours, and a cat festival where you and your furry best friend can hang out are just some of the best things to enjoy in Hong Kong this weekend.Read on for more details.1. Hong Kong International Bhangra CompetitionFeel the beat at an international Bhangra dance-off this Sunday.The Hong Kong International Bhangra Competition 2025, the first of its kind, will see teams from around the world compete in the high-octane global phenomenon that originated as a Punjabi folk dance and was popularised by Bollywood.Bounce along to the rhythms of dhol drums and immerse yourself in the explosive energy, vibrant colours and gravity-defying moves on stage.Tickets cost from HK$100 (US$13)...

It has no Michelin stars and has never ranked on lists such as Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, but Maison Es in Wan Chai celebrates its 10th anniversary this year having survived a host of challenges in Hong Kong that have seen many other similar fine-dining eateries close down. How did it manage this?Opened by chef Esther Sham in 2015, the aesthetically pleasing restaurant welcomes guests with a cream-coloured bicycle with a basket of flowers at its entrance, while the general ambience is akin to walking into a friend’s cottage.The tables are well spaced, meaning you are in little danger of overhearing other people’s conversations, and the menu is full of tried-and-true favourites that Sham designed herself.“I insist on my own style of Canto-French,” she says. “I know there was a time when se...

Reality star Harry Jowsey has flirted, broken hearts and lied on TV. But now the 28-year-old Australian says he is ready to find his soulmate – and he is nervous.Last month, applications opened on a website for his new Netflix reality show, Let’s Marry Harry, with thousands of people signing up for the chance to be the former Too Hot to Handle star’s bride.On the day the show was announced, Jowsey marvelled that women posted TikTok videos about how they had just applied to be on his show.“I didn’t think anyone would click on it, because it’s a vulnerable thing to do to apply for a dating show, especially one where we’re getting married,” Jowsey said, laughing. “It’s like ‘Oh, people like me!’”Netflix is counting on it.Jowsey at the 2025 Variety Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles...