David Lai Tai-wai was born in October 1952. After secondary school he entered television, starting as a director at RTV and becoming a key assistant to the producer Johnny Mak. In 1977 he worked as an assistant director on the series 'Big Man', learning from Mak how to tell grounded social stories on screen, and by 1979 he had been involved in dozens of television dramas. In 1981 he left television and formed the production outfit Ying Ngai with the producer Jeffrey Lau and the action director Corey Yuen, moving into film. In 1982 he directed 'Lonely Fifteen', produced by Johnny Mak and written by Manfred Wong, casting a group of non-professional teenage girls in a story of young women sliding into drug abuse and running away from home that laid bare the darker side of society; most of the cast were amateurs found on the street and the filming was almost documentary in style. It became a landmark of the Hong Kong New Wave, took more than ten million Hong Kong dollars at the box office, and was nominated for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2nd Hong Kong Film Awards, with the newcomer Lin Bik-kei winning Best Actress and Irene Wan also emerging from it. In 1987 he became head of production planning at Bo Ho Films and in 1991 a director of the Tianmu production company, working mainly as a producer and planner rather than directing himself. In 2006 he served as executive producer on 'DOA: Dead or Alive', after which he emigrated to Canada and withdrew from the Hong Kong film scene. His films are known for their realist style and their focus on the situation of young people and social outcasts, filmed plainly and without showy technique.
David Lai is one of the key figures of the Hong Kong New Wave. 'Lonely Fifteen' boldly cast non-professional girls and dealt directly with marginal youth, opening a path for local realist youth films and carrying Johnny Mak's social-realist approach from television to the big screen. He later moved into producing and planning, supporting the Hong Kong film industry from behind the scenes and helping bring on new talent.
Achievements
- 1977 · Worked as an assistant director on RTV's drama series 'Big Man'
- 1982 · Directed 'Lonely Fifteen', nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the 2nd Hong Kong Film Awards
- 2006 · Served as executive producer on 'DOA: Dead or Alive'