A Black History Moment in Hong Kong Action Films: Screening and Discussion With Martial Arts Pioneers Stephan Berwick and Mike Woods

Bonus special guests IN PERSON: Film producer/Fight Choreographer JOSE FIGUEROA and Recording Artist LOU REED

Stephan Berwick, a mainland-China trained martial artist, is one of America’s foremost practitioners of Chinese martial arts and an early Western performer in Hong Kong action films with Hong Kong film legend Mike Woods. Berwick and Woods were the first Western members of the famous “Wo Yuen Ping Clan,” one of the top martial art film families. Wo Yuen Ping is the action director of The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Charlie’s Angels, and other seminal action films. 

Berwick and Woods will screen and discuss clips of their film performances with Fist and Sword film series curator and Moving Image trustee Warrington Hudlin. In addition to sharing their on-camera and behind-the-scenes experiences in the Hong Kong film industry, Berwick will show the short film he directed, Final Weapon (2010, 15 mins.), which stars Ren Guangyi and Mike Woods, and features an appearance and music by Lou Reed. 

Free with museum admission.