Paul Kendel Fonoroff (born 1954 in

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

) is a

film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scholars, who study the composition of film theory and publish their findin ...

and historian specializing in

Chinese-language cinema The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of mainland China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. China is the home of the largest mo ...

. Born in the United States, he spent several years of schooling in China, accepting a fellowship at

Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...

. After moving to

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

in 1983, Fonoroff spent decades ingrained in its local film culture, writing reviews for the ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

'' and appearing on television to discuss cinema. He also received small acting parts in about twenty films. Over the decades, Fonoroff amassed a large collection of Chinese film journals and periodicals. He donated this collection to the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

in 2015.

Biography

Fonoroff was born in

. He began studying Chinese in high school, participating in a youth study group going to Hong Kong in 1972. He continued his education at

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

, taking a year off to study Mandarin at

Nanyang University Nanyang University () was a private university in Singapore between 1956 and 1980. During its existence, it was Singapore's only private university in the Chinese language. In 1980, Nanyang University was merged with the University of Singapore ...

. Interested in film, he went to

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

to receive a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

. When the United States and China rekindled diplomatic relations in 1979, Fonoroff traveled to Beijing, accepting a grant to research Chinese cinema at

. Upon completion of his studies in Beijing, Fonoroff moved to Hong Kong in 1983. He accepted a role on TVB as a scriptwriter, while also writing for a local magazine. Fonoroff remained in Hong Kong for decades, where he consistently wrote about movies and appeared in over a thousand episodes of cinema-related television programs in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. He hosted the show ''Movie World'' on

Asia Television Asia Television Limited (, also known as ATV) is a digital media and broadcasting company in Hong Kong. Established as the first television service in Hong Kong as Rediffusion Television () on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial televis ...

's international channel, and wrote film reviews for the ''

''. After accepting his first Hong Kong film role in ''

Sworn Brothers Blood brother can refer to two or more people not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is in modern times usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where each person makes a small cut, usually on a finger, han ...

'' (1987), Fonoroff made appearances in over twenty movies and TV dramas. These included "special guest appearances" in ''

Once Upon a Time in China II ''Once Upon a Time in China II'' is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark. Jet Li stars as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung. It is the second instalment in ...

'' and ''

Fight Back to School II ''Fight Back to School 2'' () is a 1992 Hong Kong action comedy, action comedy film directed by Gordon Chan and co-written by Chan Kin-chung, and produced by Jimmy Heung. The film stars Stephen Chow, Ng Man-Tat and Cheung Man. It is a sequel to ...

'' (both 1992). Fonoroff has written several books on Hong Kong cinema. In 1997, he authored ''Silver Light: A Pictorial History of Hong Kong Cinema 1920–1970'', a picture book utilising his collection of Hong Kong movie memorabilia. This book was also given a separate translation in Chinese and released. The following year, Fonoroff published ''At the Hong Kong Movies: 600 Reviews from 1988 Till the Handover'', a compilation of the various newspaper columns he wrote. Fonoroff's collection of film periodicals, scripts, and posters were later showcased in ''Chinese Movie Magazines: From Charlie Chaplin to Chairman Mao 1951–1981''. This book was included in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''' selection of Best Art Books of 2018. In 2015, Fonoroff's collection was acquired by the

. The collection, housed in the university's C.V. Starr East Asian Library, is generally considered the largest Chinese film-related archive outside China. Fonoroff is a member of the

Hong Kong Film Critics Society The Hong Kong Film Critics Society (HKFCS; Traditional Chinese: 香港電影評論學會), founded in 1995, is the peak organization of film critics and professionals in Hong Kong. It is also a member of FIPRESCI. Objectives The objectives of the H ...

and the Performing Artists Guild of Hong Kong. He is also an advisor to the

Hong Kong Film Archive The Hong Kong Film Archive is a public film archive collects, preserves, and screens Hong Kong films and other related materials. The archive was founded in 1993, when its Planning Office was opened by the Urban Council. It joined the Intern ...

Movie-Related Series

*'' Watching Cantonese Classics 粵語長片是咁睇的'' (2021-2022) - Cantonese *'' Asian Movie Archaeologist 方保羅-電影考古家'' (2010) - Mandarin *'' Hong Kong Movie Odyssey'' (2004) - English *'' Phoenix Tonight 相聚鳳凰台'' (1998-2002) - Mandarin *'' Movie World 電影世界'' (1996-1998) - Mandarin *'' Entertainment News 非常娛樂'' (1994-1996) - Mandarin *'' Movie Station 電影情報組'' (1994-1995) - Cantonese *'' Look for a Star 星海追蹤'' (1993-1994) - English *'' Camera Time 開麥拉時間'' (1991) - Cantonese *'' Movie Talk 戲人戲語'' (1990-1993) - Cantonese *'' Movie World 電影世界'' (1989-1993) - English *'' Eye on Hong Kong 放眼香港'' (1987-1989) - English

Filmography

*'' Helios 赤道'' (2015) Martin Koo *''

Amphetamine 安非他命 Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity; it is also used to treat binge e ...

'' (2010) *''

Drink-Drank-Drunk ''Drink-Drank-Drunk'' () is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Derek Yee. Plot A romantic comedy, the film is about Siu Min, a Budweiser girl who takes pity on Michael, an ethnic Chinese restaurateur from France drinking away his misfortune ...

''千杯不醉 (2005) Bookstore Owner *'' A Family in Hong Kong 香港一家人'' (2000) (TV Series) *'' What Are You Gonna Do, Sai Fung? 1959某日某'' (1999) Pierre Birton *''

Dream Trips 夢之旅 A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...

'' (1999) Dream Guide *'' Spirit of the Dragon 老鼠龍之猛龍過港'' (1998) *'' Bishonen''美少年之戀 (1998) *''

Lawyer Lawyer ''Lawyer Lawyer'' () is a 1997 Hong Kong comedy film produced, directed and co-written by Joe Ma. Plot Stephen Chow stars as Chan Mong-Gut, a famous Chinese lawyer who was killed in the Qing dynasty. He must defend his apprentice, Foon, who h ...

算死草'' (1997) - Judge *'' I Have a Date with Spring 我和春天有個約會'' (1996) - Father Yung 容神父 (TV Series) *''

Tristar 大三元 Tristar or TriStar (meaning "three star") may refer to: TriStar media organizations * Columbia TriStar Home Video, a home video distribution studio now known as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment * Columbia TriStar Television, a television production ...

'' (1996) - Bearded Mormon *'' What a Wonderful Life 奇異旅程之真心愛生命'' (1996) - Reporter Going to Canada *''

Once in a Lifetime 終身大事 Once may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Once'' (film), a 2007 Irish musical film by John Carney ** ''Once'' (musical), a 2011 stage adaptation of the film * ''Once'' (TV series), a 2017–2019 Argentine telenovela * Canal Once (Mexi ...

'' (1995) - Doctor *'' The Final Option 飛虎雄心'' (1994) - Police Official *''

The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty ''The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty'' ( Chinese: 滿清十三皇朝) is a long-running four part television series about the history of the Qing dynasty. The series was produced by Hong Kong's ATV and was aired on ATV Home from September 1987 to ...

IV 十三皇朝:溥儀'' (1992) -

Reginald Johnston Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston ( zh, s=庄士敦爵士, t=莊士敦爵士, p=Zhuāngshìdūn juéshì, l=Sir Johnston; 13 October 1874 – 6 March 1938) was a Scottish diplomat and colonial official who served as the tutor and advisor to Puyi, ...

(TV Series) *''

Fight Back to School ''Fight Back To School'' ( zh, t=逃學威龍, s=逃学威龙) is a 1991 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Gordon Chan and co-written with Barry Wong, who also acts in a supporting role. The film stars Stephen Chow, Sharla Cheung, Ng Ma ...

Part 2 逃學威龍2'' (1992) - Secretary of Security *'' Summer Lovers 夏日情人'' (1992) - Laserdisc Shop Clerk *''

Once Upon a Time in China ''Once Upon a Time in China'' is a 1991 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film directed and produced by Tsui Hark, who also wrote with Yuen Kai-chi, Leung Yiu-ming, and Elsa Tang. Jet Li stars as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of C ...

II 黃飛鴻2男兒當自強'' (1992) - British Consul *'' Love: Now You See It... Now You Don't 我愛扭紋柴'' (1992) - Surveyor *'' The Inspector Wears Skirts 4 92霸王花對霸王花 '' (1992) - Commander *'' Once Upon a Time a Hero in China 黃飛鴻笑傳'' (1992) - Indiana Jones *'' Alan and Eric Between Hello and Goodbye 雙城故事'' (1991) - Hairy Keung *''

''肝膽相照 (1987) - Extra in Courtroom *'' Love Bittersweet愛情麥芽糖'' (1984) - Admirer of Festival Lantern *''

The Herdsman ''The Herdsman'' ( zh, s=牧马人, t=牧馬人, p=Mù Mǎ Rén) is a 1982 Chinese film about the life of a herdsman in western China from 1950s through the Cultural Revolution, and his reunion with his father from America. It was produced by the ...

牧馬人'' (1982) - Extra Dancing in Restaurant *'' The Sea is Calling 大海在呼唤'' (1982) - Mabasuo 馬巴索

References

External links

*
Paul Fonoroff at scmp.com

Living people American film critics Hong Kong film critics Brown University alumni Peking University alumni Writers from Cleveland Journalists from Cleveland USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni 1954 births {{HongKong-bio-stub