[2009.08.16] PETRINA FUNG BO BO GETS TEARY EYED OVER LINDA LIN DAI EXHIBIT

courtesy of takungpao.com

This year is the 34th anniversary of Linda Lin Dai's passing. The Hong Kong Film Archive from August 14 to November 1 will hold THE LEGEND & THE BEAUTY - THE FILMS OF LIN DAI, which not only selected 18 films from different stages of her career but also displayed her past bedroom decoration and items like her Best Actress awards, family photos, costumes, wedding gown, scripts, film contracts and posters.

Two nights ago at the opening ceremony, the event invited Lin Dai's god daughter Petrina Fung Bo Bo to be the opening ceremony guest. Other attendees included Joe Cheung Tung Cho and Susan Shaw Yam Yam. Lin Dai's son Lung Chung Hong also attended and quietly appreciated his mother's items. When he realized reporters were taking photos he immediately left, but finally the crew led him back in as he stood helplessly for press photos. Returning from Malaysia for the occasion, Bo Bo while talking about Lin Dai's life broke down several times.

Bo Bo pointed out that she has worn the green long dress among the exhibits. She said, "When Godfather was alive I never dared to enter his bedroom. When he passed away I went in officially for the first time and saw East Wind Illustrated had a photo of Godmother who just gave birth with Godfather and me. I felt like I was traveling through time." Lin Dai had a trim figure as her wedding gown had a 18 inch waist, even her long dress was 22 to 23 inch. Bo Bo joked that when she put on the long dress she missed by six inches. Thus the mannequin had to go through "liposuction" to be able to wear it. She was also surprised that Godfather was able to properly maintain Godmother's items for 43 years. When she mentioned Godfather and Godmother were able to reunite in Heaven, she was teary eyed and even revealed that last week when she worked on location for the event she also broke down.

Back then Lin Dai's suicide was rumored to be related to her husband, Bo Bo admitted that she did not speak with Godfather for two years. In the recent decade she once wanted to ask Godfather why Godmother committed suicide but she was never able to. She said that they became her godparents since she was a child and had deep influence on her life. A little over a year ago she considered writing an autobiography and hoped that it will be published next year. Reporters asked why Lin Dai committed suicide. Bo Bo said that it could not be explained in a few words because she spent years before finding her answer. In addition, Lin Dai was Shaw Yam Yam's childhood idol. Thus when she learned that her idol passed away she broke down. Looking back her only connection with her idol, she was able to wear a dress that her idol wore when she worked on a Lee Han Hsiang film. Cheung Cho Tung's father was a friend of Lin Dai's father. Thus when Lin Dai passed away, his impression of her was only an older sister next door.