San Diego Asian Film Festival 2010

Based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster in the Wing Chun martial art, IP MAN 2 follows Master Ip (Donnie Yen) as he settles into life in a1950’s Hong Kong under British colonial rule. Master Ip and his family have moved to Hong Kong after escaping poverty and oppression in a China occupied by Japan during World War II. To earn a living in his new home and while propagating the art of Wing Chun, Ip Man decides to open up his own martial arts academy. He soon attracts a small group of students as word gets out about Master Ip’s martial arts prowess. Unfortunately, Master Ip’s big-heartedness and lack of business sense soon threaten the viability of his academy and he is confronted with additional obstacles when his notoriety attracts the attention of the area’s top martial arts academy, headed by Master Hung Chun-nam (Sammo Hung). Upon proving his worthiness to Master Hung, Ip Man and Hung are soon faced with a common adversary and the responsibility of defending the honor of not only Chinese martial arts but also the Chinese way of life against a powerful and bullying English boxer backed by corrupt British bureaucrats.

The sequel to the smash hit film Ip Man (SDAFF ’09) and the highest grossing Hong Kong film of 2010, IP MAN 2 combines cutting-edge fight choreography and historical drama with the star power of arguably the world’s top martial arts action star Donnie Yen (Ip Man) and the legendary Sammo Hung, who also served masterfully as fight coordinator on the film. In accomplishing this, director Wilson Yip has successfully created a powerful film that provides not only first-rate action visuals, but also a potent message regarding the preservation of Chinese culture and traditions in the face of Western globalization. – Gene Huh

Screening Sponsor:
Dr. Robert and Mao Shillman
Lew Family Foundation

Co-presented by:
National Association of Asian American Professionals - San Diego
Raytheon Asian Pacific Association (RAPA) San Diego Foundation
UCSD Psi Chi Omega
SDSU Beta Omega Phi