Cecilia Cheung is a Hong Kong-born actress. She was born on May 24, 1980, and was sent to Melbourne, Australia, to live with relatives while still a teenager. In the 1990s, she returned to Hong Kong, where she began working as a model in commercials. She followed this with her film debut in the movie “King of Comedy” (1999). Later the same year, she appeared in a leading role in the film “Fly Me to Polaris” (1999), a performance that saw her win the prize for Best Newcomer at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Cecilia Cheung

Engaged to one of her oldest childhood friends, Yuriko Sakurada (Cecilia Cheung) ought to be looking forward to the day she says “I do”. But as the days standing between her and the alter slowly dwindle, Yuriko begins to have some serious second thoughts. Desperate to get away for a bit and clear her head, she books a flight and heads to Shanghai for some much needed alone time. But her time away takes an unexpected turn, the day a charismatic dance instructor waltzes into her life.

A completely color-blind dance instructor, Philip Wong (Aaron Kwok) loves nothing more than teaching his students all of the latest dance moves, including his current favorite, the Para Para. Dedicating his life to dance, Philip doesn’t really even notice that he sees the world in black and white, but all that changes the day Yuriko walks into his studio. With the world suddenly bursting into color around her, Philip can’t help but fall for the free-spirited woman who has begun to see his studio as a sort of sanctuary from the pressures of her own life.

As Philip and Yuriko spend more time together, they find themselves falling even more in love but the responsibilities Yuriko has been trying to avoid eventually catch up with her. Forced to return to Japan, Yuriko leaves Philip heartbroken. With his world fading back to gray, Philip must decide whether to let Yurkio go for good or fight for the one who filled his world with color and inspired his heart to dance.

A lighthearted, dance-filled romp, “Para Para Sakura” is a 2001 romantic musical comedy film directed by Jingle Ma.

Para Para Sakura

Onion (Richie Ren) is a blind, mute hospital worker who has fallen for a nurse at the hospital named Autumn (Cecilia Cheung). One day, Onion plucks up the courage to ask Autumn to go out with him for a date.

She accepts, but the day ends in tragedy when he trips over in the street and falls into the path of a fast-moving car – which kills him instantly.

Autumn is greatly disturbed by Onion’s death.

But the story does not end there. After dying, Onion learns that human souls are transported to Polaris – the North Star.

However, as he happens to be the six billionth person to die, Onion is granted a wish when he arrives at Polaris. He says he wants to go back to Planet Earth, and his wish is granted…albeit conditionally: He is not allowed to reveal his true identity to anyone on Earth, and he must return to Polaris in five days’ time.

By the time he arrives back and finds Autumn, he realizes that there is now another obstacle standing between him and the nurse – a dashing doctor who also happens to work at the hospital.

Will the newly returned Onion succeed in convincing Autumn he is who he says he is – and what will happen when his five days are up?

“Fly Me to Polaris” is a 1999 Hong Kong movie that was directed by Jingle Ma.

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