One of the four billion fighting documentaries at Hot Docs this year, Corey Lee’s Legend of a Warrior is actually not about fighting. The film is actually about Corey Lee’s attempts to reconnect and repair his relationship with his father, a famous martial artist teacher who has trained world champions and movie stars in the craft of ass kicking. Frank Lee’s story is fairly typical of a lot of Asian’s who immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada in hopes of greener pastures in the 60’s/70’s/80’s. In an effort to provide for his family, Frank consumed himself into his work throughout Corey’s childhood and as a result, the typical emotional ties that binds a family together were severely tested. With a family of his own, Corey is now keen on rebuilding his relationship with his dad, and in the process, learn about and reclaim some of his Chinese identity in the process. The two train together over a course of a year, culminating in a trip to great city of Hong Kong to get a first hand look at where it all began.
A bit slow at times, Legend of a Warrior does succeed in portraying a certain Asian-Canadian Old-New world experience that a lot of Asians in North America can identify with. The film includes some amusing comic book style retelling of how Frank became a legend and some of the fighting scene that Frank’s students go through gives you a good insight into the discipline and perseverance that is required in the world of fighting. I personally got a kick out of seeing the two eating at Chinese restaurants I frequented when I was living in Edmonton, but that probably only affects 1% of the Hot Docs audience.
Go see this with your father, and then give him a hug after.
Mon, Apr 30 9:15 PM Cumberland 2
Thu, May 3 1:30 PM The ROM Theatre
Fri, May 4 4:00 PM Isabel Bader Theatre