--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Hong Kong, in our generation that…" description: "\"In Hong Kong, in our generation that started out in the 1970s, being a director wasn't a big deal. We didn't even have director's chairs. We weren't pa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/ann-hui-76797_big-deal_in-hong-kong-in-our-generation-that-star_139340.jpg" --- # In Hong Kong, in our generation that started out in the… ![“In Hong Kong, in our generation that started out in the 1970s, being a director wasn't a big deal. We didn't even have director's chairs. We weren't particularly well paid. The social standing of a film director wasn't that high. It was a sort of a plebeian job, a second or third grade one. And…” quote by Ann Hui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/ann-hui-76797_big-deal_in-hong-kong-in-our-generation-that-star_139340.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/ann-hui-76797_big-deal_in-hong-kong-in-our-generation-that-star_139340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/ann-hui-76797_big-deal_in-hong-kong-in-our-generation-that-star_139340.jpg) > “In Hong Kong, in our generation that started out in the 1970s, being a director wasn't a big deal. We didn't even have director's chairs. We weren't particularly well paid. The social standing of a film director wasn't that high. It was a sort of a plebeian job, a second or third grade one. And the studio heads are always practical, there's never any fawning because someone is a director. There's very little snobbery about one's position as a director. The only ones people treated differently were those that were also stars; or the directors who also owned their companies.” [Ann Hui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-hui/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In 1970s Hong Kong, film directors held modest status and pay; only star‑directors or owner‑directors earned distinction. **In simple terms:** Directors were low‑status; fame or ownership raised their standing. Key Takeaway Elevate the craft; recognize directors’ contributions. Themes film industry status career recognition culture Mood reflective informative Type historical industry When to use this quote - film studies - career mentorship - industry advocacy - cultural history Key Concepts hierarchy professional esteem industry evolution Questions to Reflect On - How can directors gain respect today? - What role does ownership play in status? A Different Perspective Changing perceptions may be slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-deal/) [Director Chairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-chairs-1578289/) [Director Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-wasn-1578286/) [Directors Owned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors-owned-1578287/) [Fawning Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fawning-director-1578290/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Hong kong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hong-kong/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stars Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars-directors-1578288/) [Third grade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-grade/) ## Related quotes > [I've always said I would want to be a funeral director if I wasn't an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-devitto/i-ve-always-said-i-would-want-to-be-a-funeral-director-if-i-wasn-t-an/) [Torrey DeVitto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-devitto/) > [I became a film director, but I wasn't successful with my first couple of films, so I had to turn to becoming a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-chan-wook/i-became-a-film-director-but-i-wasn-t-successful-with-my-first-couple/) [Park Chan-wook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-chan-wook/) > [I thought I'd become a funeral director when I wasn't going to be an actor. I thought I would be good at helping some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/i-thought-i-d-become-a-funeral-director-when-i-wasn-t-going-to-be-an/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [In the theatre, the actor is in total control. The director wasn't in the house last night, the designer wasn't there, the author's dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/in-the-theatre-the-actor-is-in-total-control-the-director-wasn-t-in/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [“When I was in the third grade, I did my very best to fail every class so that the kids would like me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-michener/when-i-was-in-the-third-grade-i-did-my-very-best-to-fail-every-class/) [Tara Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-michener/) > [My big break was back in the third grade playing the third monkey in 'Horton Hears a Who.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-arcelus/my-big-break-was-back-in-the-third-grade-playing-the-third-monkey-in/) [Sebastian Arcelus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-arcelus/) > [When I was eight years old, I got a dummy for Christmas and started teaching myself. I got books and records and sat in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/when-i-was-eight-years-old-i-got-a-dummy-for-christmas-and-started/) [Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/) > [I met a girl when I was in third grade. Kids were beating her up - she was deaf - so I walked her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-carteris/i-met-a-girl-when-i-was-in-third-grade-kids-were-beating-her-up-she/) [Gabrielle Carteris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-carteris/) > [My grandmother taught me two very important lessons before she passed: hold the door for everyone and always say "thank you." That means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/my-grandmother-taught-me-two-very-important-lessons-before-she-passed/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [I wanted to entertain and make people laugh. I think it really hit in third grade, but once I was in high school, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-metz/i-wanted-to-entertain-and-make-people-laugh-i-think-it-really-hit-in/) [Chrissy Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-metz/) > [From the third grade, I knew that I wanted to play in the NFL. It's pretty cool to see the dream about to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-wentz/from-the-third-grade-i-knew-that-i-wanted-to-play-in-the-nfl-it-s/) [Carson Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-wentz/) > [I started trying to write when I was in second or third grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-haddix/i-started-trying-to-write-when-i-was-in-second-or-third-grade/) [Margaret Haddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-haddix/) > [“Nobody cared if you plagiarized in the third grade. All”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-janz/nobody-cared-if-you-plagiarized-in-the-third-grade-all/) [Jonathan Janz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-janz/) > [I didn't really grow up a comic book fanatic. I was a big baseball player, and my passion in life, in third grade, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ritchson/i-didn-t-really-grow-up-a-comic-book-fanatic-i-was-a-big-baseball/) [Alan Ritchson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ritchson/) > [My dad had a third-grade education in Mexico. Third grade. My mom had a fifth-grade education. They were raised in a poor home... They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/my-dad-had-a-third-grade-education-in-mexico-third-grade-my-mom-had-a/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) ## More by Ann Hui > [To be honest, I am not especially pleased to be slotted primarily as a 'woman filmmaker', but it's okay with me. Plus, I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-hui/to-be-honest-i-am-not-especially-pleased-to-be-slotted-primarily-as-a/) [Ann Hui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-hui/) > [When I first started making films 30 years ago, people would comment that I was a woman. But strangely, when I was in television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-hui/when-i-first-started-making-films-30-years-ago-people-would-comment/) [Ann Hui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-hui/) [Explore all 3 Ann Hui quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-hui/) ## More Big deal quotes > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [“But in the parent department, he had won the lottery. 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Noah shook his head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-weren-t-out-there-that-long-were-you-i-can-t-bear-to-think-that/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Everyone's just laughing at me. I hate it. Big breasts, big ass, big deal, Can't I be anything else ? Gee, how long can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everyone-s-just-laughing-at-me-i-hate-it-big-breasts-big-ass-big-deal/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [“Eventually, Edgard said, “She doesn’t know anything about me. Not even that we were roping partners. Not that we were…” He looked at Trevor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorelei-james/eventually-edgard-said-she-doesn-t-know-anything-about-me-not-even/) [Lorelei James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorelei-james/) > [Humility simply means that you do a great job at everything and it isn't really a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/humility-simply-means-that-you-do-a-great-job-at-everything-and-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Being responsible for someone’s childhood is a big deal. We not only create our own memories, but we create our child’s memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-macy-stafford/being-responsible-for-someone-s-childhood-is-a-big-deal-we-not-only/) [Rachel Macy Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-macy-stafford/) > [I've never been truly closeted on the air; it's just something I never really made a big deal out of because I never felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-duran/i-ve-never-been-truly-closeted-on-the-air-it-s-just-something-i-never/) [Elvis Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-duran/) > [Tom Stafford was an odd character, you know - a brilliant guy. He looked weird and I think he took a really defensive attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-fritts/tom-stafford-was-an-odd-character-you-know-a-brilliant-guy-he-looked/) [Donnie Fritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-fritts/) > [When you're standing around for an hour doing stand up it's no big deal but when you're standing around watching a show for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/when-you-re-standing-around-for-an-hour-doing-stand-up-it-s-no-big/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [People make such a big deal about how people in bands look, especially if you're a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/people-make-such-a-big-deal-about-how-people-in-bands-look-especially/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [“What’s wrong with you?” John asks suspiciously. I give him a ‘what chu talkin’ ‘bout Willis?’ look and he explains. “You just woke up.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelin-lamontagne/what-s-wrong-with-you-john-asks-suspiciously-i-give-him-a-what-chu/) [Katelin LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelin-lamontagne/) > [I never said Kristen ruined my wedding. At the time, when a million other things had fallen apart that day, I felt like she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scheana-shay/i-never-said-kristen-ruined-my-wedding-at-the-time-when-a-million/) [Scheana Shay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scheana-shay/) [Browse all 1,273 Big deal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-deal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In Hong Kong, in our generation that started out in the 1970s, being a director wasn't a big deal. We didn't even have director's chairs. We weren't particularly well paid. The social standing of a film director wasn't that high. 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