In this episode of Tank Talks Asia, Manisha Tank talks to filmmaker Robin Lee, who shares the story behind “Four Trails”, his award-winning movie that documents one of Hong Kong’s most punishing endurance challenges (it combines Hong Kong’s four major hiking trails into one continuous 298-kilometre journey).
Robin discusses what it took to turn this passion project into a piece of Hong Kong film history, as well as the documentary’s success, its growing international audience, and how it is helping to showcase a different side to Hong Kong.
“Four Trails” has just been released in North America and will debut in Japan in July, but Robin is currently exploring opportunities for broader distribution. So if you can help connect the film with wider audiences internationally, he’d love to hear from you.
Featured Voices
Host: Manisha Tank
Guest: Robin Lee, Award-Winning Filmmaker and Director of “Four Trails”
Key takeaways
- The Four Trails challenge, which the film documents, pushes runners across 298 kilometers and more than 14,500 metres of elevation with no official prizes beyond personal achievement.
- Robin says his passion for action sports helped inspire him to make “Four Trails”.
- Making the film also became an endurance test for Robin, as it involved six months of planning, three days of filming, and a two year editing process.
- A composer was hired to create the film’s emotional soundtrack, which is carefully crafted to mirror the physical and psychological journey of the trail runners.
- “Four Trails” has now become one of Hong Kong’s most successful documentary releases and earned Robin a Best New Director award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Chapter heads
02:10
When Passion Pays Off
Robin describes the surreal moment he won a major award for a film that started as a passion project.
03:40
From Ski Films to Hong Kong Mountains
He reflects on his background in action sports filmmaking and how it influenced his decision to tell this story.
04:37
More Than a Race
Robin discusses why Four Trails is not really a competition, but a deeply personal test of resilience.
08:11
Capturing Human Limits
He talks about the difficulty of filming the runners in moments of extreme physical and mental exhaustion.
10:22
An Endurance Test
Robin shares how making the documentary became his own personal Four Trails challenge.
12:01
Editing 200 Hours of Footage
He describes the painstaking process of turning hundreds of hours of raw footage into a feature-length film.
14:01
Why Music Matters
Robin explains how the score was specially composed to heighten the emotional journeys of the runners.
15:42
The Struggle for Distribution
He opens up about his two-year effort to secure distribution and how getting the film seen, in some ways, proved harder than making it.
17:49
Chow Yun Fat’s Surprise Endorsement
Robin recounts the surreal moment when “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” star Chow Yun Fat requested a private screening of his film.
19:30
Global Hope
He talks about the ongoing efforts to find international distributors so the film can reach a wider audience.
20:44
Showcasing a New Hong Kong
The episode closes with Robin reflecting on how “Four Trails” is helping to reshape perceptions of Hong Kong and how he has now become part of the city’s film history.
Useful links
https://www.fourtrails.hk/
https://www.instagram.com/robintlee/
https://www.instagram.com/hk4tuc/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogms9773yi0
https://www.facebook.com/lostatlasproductions/
https://www.robinleevisuals.com/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000334/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sOEH3yrNlI
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tanktalksasia@asiaworks.com
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Tank Talks Asia is an AsiaWorks production.
