Anita 2020

Anita Mui and her elder sister Ann Mui are raised in a financially strapped household, and from a young age they take to the stage at Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park to help support their family. Their early immersion in live performance opens a doorway to the entertainment world after a chance encounter with Adam Cheng, setting the wheels in motion for a career that will reshape their lives.

As opportunities unfold, Anita enters the inaugural New Talent Singing Awards organized by Television Broadcasts Limited and Capital Artists. There she claims first place, earning a professional recording contract that marks the turning point from stage performer to recording artist. Together with manager Florence Chan, company executive Alfredo So, and fashion designer Eddie Lau, she navigates the professional side of show business, blending talent with the right guidance.

A nightclub engagement becomes a catalytic moment when Anita steps in for the absent senior singer Johnny Yip, making her first onstage appearance alongside Leslie Cheung. From that night, a professional friendship blossoms between the two, underpinned by a simple but enduring agreement: if either of them ever headlines a Hong Kong Coliseum concert, the other will appear as a guest without charge. Their mutual respect helps propel both stars forward.

During this period, Anita begins a romance with the Japanese singer Goto Yuki. Travel to Japan brings her face to face with tensions between Goto and his management, revealing the constraints that can shape a partner’s career. After learning more about his circumstances, she makes the difficult decision to end the relationship. Back in Hong Kong, she lends her support to Leslie for the leading role in the film Rouge, a move that amplifies her own profile as an actress and opens doors to major accolades, including Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The ascent, however, is not without peril. At the peak of her fame, Anita becomes entangled in a nightclub incident where she refuses a request to perform for Kwok, a criminal figure. This episode prompts her to leave Hong Kong for a time, spending a period in Chiang Mai with her partner Ben Lam. After their separation, she returns home and dedicates herself to charitable work—helping those in need and supporting the construction of schools on the mainland—while also mending and managing familial tensions that arise.

The personal toll of her health becomes a sobering thread through the later years: in 2000, Ann dies of cervical cancer, and soon after, Anita herself faces the same disease. Three years pass, during which the sudden death of Leslie Cheung adds another layer of grief to her life. Despite the illness, she continues treatment and stages a final series of concerts. For her farewell show at the Hong Kong Coliseum, she wears a wedding gown designed by Eddie Lau and closes with the haunting performance of “Song of the Sunset.” On 30 December 2003, Anita Mui passes away at the age of 40, shortly after completing her last performances, leaving a lasting legacy in Hong Kong cinema and music.