After more than a year of silence, rumour has it that Hong Kong director Pang Ho Cheung has moved to Vancouver, Canada with his wife.

According to HK01, an online post from Vancouver senior media editor Lai Chak Fun claimed that the “Love in a Puff” director has moved to Canada in a low-key manner and has expressed his frustration over trying to make a movie under China’s censorship rules.

Lai alleged that Pang was heard in a dinner conversation with Canadian politician Albert Cheng saying that it’s hard for outsiders to make a movie in mainland China as most of them would not pass China’s censorship while also not having clear guidelines for filmmakers.

He added that unless they have influential people behind the scenes, the relevant parties would not give their approval.

The said post had since been removed by Lai.

It is noted that back in 2019, Pang announced that he will be helming an adaptation of Jin Yong’s literary saga “The Deer and the Cauldron” with plans of turning it into a trilogy. He also made an official announcement at The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in the same year that the movie will begin shooting in the middle of 2019 with the first part to be released in 2021.

However, after more than half a year, there were no news about the project. An article in October 2019 revealed the director’s frustration over getting no feedback from the Chinese censorship board, with his script being revised several times due to sensitive subject matter.

(Photo Source: Exmoo News)