Wong Kar-wai Receives Top French Cultural Prize

Wong Kar-wai

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, whose "The Grandmaster" is gearing up for US release later this year by TWC, has received one of the French government's biggest honors.French foreign minister Laurent Fabius came to Hong Kong for one day to appoint Wong a Commander of France's Order of Arts and Letters. "Commander" is the highest of three possible rankings for this prize. This honor has previously gone to the likes of Bruce Willis, Ray Bradbury, Bob Dylan and T.S. Eliot.
Wong has been a darling of France since his first film "As Tears Go By" premiered at Cannes' Critics' Week in 1988. Since then, four of his films have competed for the Palme d'Or, and in 1997 he won best director for "Happy Together." In 2006, Wong was named Knight of France's Order of the Legion of Honor.