Leaked Tapes Tarnish Reputation of Iconic Director Wong Kar-wai
Listen to the full version

For 40 years, director Wong Kar-wai cultivated an aura of mystery, rarely appearing in public without his signature dark sunglasses. His films — meditations on time, memory and unspoken longing — were crafted with an almost mythical level of control. But now, the famously enigmatic 67-year-old auteur finds his carefully constructed world pierced by the most modern of weapons: a series of leaked audio recordings.
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- DIGEST HUB
- 1958:
- Wong Kar-wai was born in Shanghai.
- 1963:
- Wong immigrated to Hong Kong with his parents at age 5.
- 1980:
- Wong enrolled in a director-producer training program at TVB in Hong Kong after studying graphic design.
- After 1981:
- After a year and a half in the TVB training program, Wong left to write scripts.
- 1988:
- Wong directed his first feature film, 'As Tears Go By.'
- By 1988:
- Wong had spent seven years in the Hong Kong screenwriting system.
- By 1990:
- 'Days of Being Wild' (Wong's next film) was produced.
- 1994:
- 'Chungking Express' was released.
- 1997:
- 'Happy Together' was released; Wong won best director at the Cannes Film Festival.
- 2013:
- Zhang Ziyi won nearly every major best actress award for her role in 'The Grandmaster.'
- 2018:
- 'Blossoms Shanghai' is described as Wong’s recent hit television series (likely referencing the period leading to its production and release).
- 2023:
- Cheng Junnian began posting on social media about his contributions to the script of 'Blossoms Shanghai.'
- September 2025:
- Cheng began releasing secretly recorded audio clips.
- September 16, 2025:
- Cheng posted a lengthy message reiterating allegations of unfair treatment.
- October 31, 2025:
- Cheng posted more than an hour of alleged recordings of Wong and others.
- November 8, 2025:
- Cheng released additional audio recordings containing politically sensitive dialogue.
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR





