Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong arthouse romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his relationship with a woman. The first story stars Takeshi Kaneshiro as a cop obsessed by his breakup with a woman named May, and his encounter with a mysterious drug smuggler (Brigitte Lin). The second stars Tony Leung as a police officer roused from his gloom over the loss of his flight attendant girlfriend (Valerie Chow) by the attentions of a quirky snack bar worker (Faye Wong). "Chungking" in the title refers to Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, where Wong grew up in the 1960s. "Express" refers to the food stand Midnight Express, located in Lan Kwai Fong, an area in Central, Hong Kong. The film premiered at Hong Kong on 14 July 1994 and received critical acclaim specially for its direction, cinematography and cast performances. Since then it has been regarded as one of Kar-Wai's finest works, one of the best films of 1994, of the 1990s, of the 20th century and of all time, as well as one of the best anthologies and romantic comedies ever made.