Karena Lam Kar-Yan

Karena Lam Kar-Yan

Born: August 17, 1978
in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Karena was working at her Vancouver family restaurant when she was discovered by a talent scout from Taiwan in 1993, at age fifteen. The scout persuaded her to fly to Taiwan that Christmas, alone, for a singing audition in the hope of securing a professional contract. The audition was a success and she released two albums, her debut album in 1995 and her second album later in 1999. However both were met with modest success.

Her film debut in 2002 changed all this and propelled her to real stardom. Karena starred in three successful Hong Kong films in the same year, winning the awards of Best Supporting Actress and Best New Performer for her role in July Rhapsody directed by Ann Hui (at the 2002 Hong Kong Film Awards) and for Inner Senses by Lo Chi Leung (at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards), gaining her recognition as a talented young actress and marking the start of her film career.

In recent months she has been taking on much more challenging roles, as witnessed in the 2005 horror film Home Sweet Home, where she plays an insane and horribly deformed "phantom" monster who kidnaps a boy from his genetic mother to claim as its own, and was nominated for major awards again.

Movies for Karena Lam Kar-Yan...

Customs Frontline
Title: Customs Frontline
Released: July 5, 2024
Type: Movie
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department officers Chow Ching-lai (Nicholas Tse) and Cheung Wan-nam (Jacky Cheung) share a close mentor-student relationship. On a case involving seized smuggled arms, Ching-lai is sent to take part in a joint operation with Interpol to capture a reclusive arms dealer. However, Wan-nam makes a drastic decision that complicates the case even further.
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Tales of Taipei
Title: Tales of Taipei
Released: November 23, 2023
Type: Movie
A heartfelt piece that tells the stories of Taipei streets, people and communities. From ten directors across the globe, creating ten unique stories of Taipei, through various backgrounds, delivering the same heartfelt message.
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Red Line
Title: Red Line
Released: April 27, 2023
Type: Movie
Le (E.SO), a former racing expert is feeling despair after causing his brother’s death. With Hui (Ella), a doctor help, he decided to become an ambulance driver, vowing to "save lives with speed." Alas, the owner of a mysterious race car "Hellcat" suddenly appears, he holds the list, the challenged racer is bound to die in the end ......
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Tales From The Occult: Body and Soul
Title: Tales From The Occult: Body and Soul
Released: May 25, 2022
Type: Movie
Rapunzel: While attending the birthday celebration of the scion of some record company, an ex-hair model who aspires to make a comeback in the entertainment business gets her tresses burnt by a spoiled brat. She walks into a hair salon to salvage her sole pride and joy, only to meet her most macabre end. Cheshire Cat: A woman whose cat was gruesomely disemboweled in the street has since opened a feline rescue center. When a man who poses as an animal lover alerts her to a potential case of cat torture, she accompanies him to the scene, only to realize that he is the real perpetrator and his next target could be human. Tooth Fairy: A dental nurse befriends a chef in the street. When he visits her clinic to check on his teeth, he is tortured by the dentist who fancies her. The morning after, the dentist is found murdered in the clinic. All fingers point to the chef who happens to be mentally unstable. Little do the police know that the real culprit is still at large.
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Man on the Edge
Title: Man on the Edge
Released: April 15, 2022
Type: Movie
On the eve of the 1997 handover, violence is rampant as the British Hong Kong government has joined forces with the triads to cause chaos in Hong Kong. The gang leader, Lam Yiu-Cheong assigns his crony Ah Lok to take an important role in the destruction. But Lok harbours a secret – he’s an undercover policeman and he’s about to discover a political conspiracy that will shock the country to its core.
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American Girl
Title: American Girl
Character: Lily Wang
Released: December 3, 2021
Type: Movie
When her mother gets sick, 13-year-old Fen moves back to Taiwan, where she struggles to fit in amid the 2003 SARS epidemic.
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Bad Acting
Title: Bad Acting
Released: December 4, 2020
Type: Movie
Stuffing the face with unimaginable expressions, tears streaming down the cheeks like a waterfall, hysterical cries as if coming from a neurotic….. These “phenomena” are literally the “bad acting” that are overwhelming our movies today – loud, over the top, crude, vulgar, full of ridiculed cliches that suffocate the audience….the list goes on. The illustrious Stage Opera Director and Lecturer, Olivia Yan Wing Pui, with years of distinct teaching expertise and experience, transforms her classroom into the theater. She documents her students comprising celebrated artists and newbies, award-winning actresses or laypersons, who, in Bad Acting, forthrightly share their struggles and pains, persistence and devotion, on their objective of becoming top notch artists in their acting careers.
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Legally Declared Dead
Title: Legally Declared Dead
Character: Shum Chi Ling
Released: November 12, 2019
Type: Movie
When insurance agent Yip Wing Shun is called to visit Tak and Ling’s home to follow up on a life insurance policy, he discovers their son’s corpse hanging in the bathroom. Principled and kind-hearted, Yip suspects that the child may have been murdered. As Yip digs for the truth, the real perpetrator turns the tables and forces Yip into a psychological battle of wills.
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The White Storm 2: Drug Lords
Title: The White Storm 2: Drug Lords
Character: Chow Man-fung
Released: July 4, 2019
Type: Movie
A financial tycoon, once a triad member, tries to eradicate the drug market while an old accomplice aims to be Hong Kong's first drug lord.
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Integrity
Title: Integrity
Character: Kong Suet Yee
Released: February 5, 2019
Type: Movie
The chief investigator of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is banking on a key witness, the corporate accountant Jack (Nick Cheung Ka-fai), to testify in court against a high-level customs officer and a tobacco trading company CEO accused of bribery and smuggling. When neither Jack nor the CEO show up on the day of the hearing, King is given seven days to save the prosecution’s case.
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The Liquidator
Title: The Liquidator
Character: Wei Wei
Released: December 29, 2017
Type: Movie
A criminal psychologist and a forensic expert works together to track down a serial killer who targets people who have been acquitted of notable crimes and uses their guilt as his modus operandi.
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Heaven in the Dark
Title: Heaven in the Dark
Character: Michelle
Released: March 24, 2016
Type: Movie
Michelle and Marco Tol, a former pastor, meet at a party. They discuss what happened five years ago, when a scandal involving the pair erupted and disgraced Tol.
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Keeper of Darkness
Title: Keeper of Darkness
Character: Fatt's mother
Released: November 26, 2015
Type: Movie
Street-smart exorcist Fatt has an unique method of dealing with vengeful spirits: He negotiates with them and persuades them to let go of their grudges. After recordings of his exorcisms go viral, Fatt attracts the attentions of a murderous spirit who’s targeting mediums, as well as a troublesome reporter who takes great interest in Fatt and his close relationship with a female spirit.
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Zinnia Flower
Title: Zinnia Flower
Character: Ming
Released: October 8, 2015
Type: Movie
On the same day, in the same accident, Wei loses his pregnant wife and Ming her fiancé. In Buddhism, one is given 100 days to mourn for the dead. Like two mice lost in a labyrinth, Wei runs around in circles while Ming calmly creeps down a determined path. But the pain and sorrow linger on. With the 100th day approaching, they wonder if they'll ever be able to say goodbye.
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Dragon Blade
Title: Dragon Blade
Released: February 19, 2015
Type: Movie
Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions, was framed by evil forces and becomes enslaved. On the other hand, a Roman general escapes to China after rescuing the Prince. The heroic duo meet in the Western Desert and a thrilling story unfolds.
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Lover's Discourse
Title: Lover's Discourse
Character: Nancy
Released: November 25, 2010
Type: Movie
In a crowded city like Hong Kong, former lovers often cross each other's path. One night, a former couple reunites for one night as they talk about their past, their present, and the possibility of a future. Elsewhere in the city, a laundry shop girl has a crush on a customer, carrying on her days fantasizing about adventures with an inanimate version of him. Meanwhile, Po runs into a childhood friend and reminisces about the days of him as a teenager and his own infatuation with his best friend's mother. Back in the present, Po is contacted by a stranger with a secret about two people they know very well…
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Don Quixote
Title: Don Quixote
Character: Sang Cuihua
Released: January 1, 2010
Type: Movie
Don Quixote is a 2010 Chinese and Hong Kong film directed by Ah Gan based on Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century novel.
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Let the Wind Carry Me
Title: Let the Wind Carry Me
Character: Herself
Released: November 23, 2009
Type: Movie
Focusing on Mark Lee Ping-bin, one of the most talented and prolific cinematographers in Asia, the movie details the itinerant lifestyle of a deeply observant and philosophical artist and the tolls that his profession takes on his family life.
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Fit Lover
Title: Fit Lover
Character: Nie Bing
Released: November 28, 2008
Type: Movie
This film centers on Nie Bing, a high-profile TV hostess, who is obsessed with trying to find her "ideal man" before her 30th birthday. Nie Bing is given a magic car by a mischievous angel, and a different handsome man -one of the 12 featured A-list actors from China, Taiwan and Japan- appears each time she drives it. Lam's character soon collects a dozen admirers, portrayed by A-list actors from China, Taiwan, and Japan, each with a different profession, personality, and ideas of what constitutes romance
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Claustrophobia
Title: Claustrophobia
Character: Pearl
Released: October 23, 2008
Type: Movie
Pearl has quietly fallen in love with her boss Tom, who’s married with a family. Without warning, Tom asks Pearl to interview for another job. Wounded, Pearl demands that Tom terminate her. The gauntlet has been thrown down. In a space as small, crowded and claustrophobic as the office, love doesn’t grow - it incubates and breeds, like a virus.
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Candy Rain
Title: Candy Rain
Character: Ricky
Released: September 12, 2008
Type: Movie
Four separate vignettes about lesbian relationships and dating, ending with a summation about relationships.
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Happy Funeral
Title: Happy Funeral
Character: Karena
Released: April 24, 2008
Type: Movie
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Anna & Anna
Title: Anna & Anna
Character: Anna / Siyu
Released: September 26, 2007
Type: Movie
Anna & Anna is a movie about a Singaporean arts saleswoman / alpha female and her subdued doppelganger. Anna One (the arts saleswoman) is very successful in her job, and gets posted to Shanghai, where she used to live before. There, by a coincidence, she finds another woman who not only like her but IS her - Anna Two. This Anna has finished her studies, become a painter, and stayed with Oulang, a depressed musician - the life as Anna One's could have been, had she made another decision at one point of her life.
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Kidnap
Title: Kidnap
Character: Lam Hiu Yeung
Released: June 14, 2007
Type: Movie
Three years ago, drama teacher Lam Hiu Yeung (Karena Lam) lost her younger brother in a kidnapping case, headed by female inspector Ho Yuen Chun (Rene Liu). Three years later, she is now on the verge of another great loss: her husband is in the late stages of cancer, and options are running out. To take him overseas for medical treatment, she needs money, and a lot of it. Using what she learned from her brother's tragic incident, she calmly masterminds the kidnapping of a tycoon's son, a case that again falls into the laps of workaholic detective and divorced mother Yuen Chun. These two strong-minded women square off in a high-stakes battle of wits, but plans and composure melt away on both sides when they realize that Hiu Yeung has nabbed the wrong kid - Yuen Chun's son.
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Silk
Title: Silk
Character: Wei
Released: September 28, 2006
Type: Movie
A scientist uses his invention - the "Menger Sponge" - to capture the energy of a dead child's spirit in an old building. In trying to determine why the energy of the ghost does not dissipate, the team discovers the identity and the dramatic story of the boy.
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Title: On the Road (Sr. 1)
Released: April 10, 2006
Type: TV
On the Road is a Cantonese television travel series produced by Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong. The show is currently in its third season. The meaning of the Chinese title is "Set off to the World", which gives a sense of the start of a journey to different parts of the global, experiencing different cultures and customs of different nations.
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Home Sweet Home
Title: Home Sweet Home
Character: Yim Hung
Released: October 27, 2005
Type: Movie
May's son has gone missing, and in order to win him back, the devoted mother is going to have to face her worst fears as she navigates a treacherous maze of incomprehensible evil. If she can make it out alive, she might just get a second chance at motherhood. If she falls prey to the darkness that surrounds her, however, she will suffer a fate worse than death as she is forced to confront every mother's worst nightmare.
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Mob Sister
Title: Mob Sister
Character: Nova
Released: August 4, 2005
Type: Movie
In the macho triad world where heroes are molded from blood, brawn and brains, what place is there for a defenseless girl? The only exception to the rule is if you earn your respect as 'Ah Sou' - the big boss' wife. Ah Sou tells the extraordinary story of an innocent girl who becomes appointed successor to Hong Kong's ruling triad. This role becomes a double-edged sword for our young heroine, who is sucked into a maelstrom of vicious gang wars, hair-raising assassination attempts and ruthless power struggles and betrayals. Through numerous violent episodes and unexpected reversals, she discovers her own inner strength and re-writes the laws of the triad kingdom.
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It Had To Be You
Title: It Had To Be You
Character: Jill
Released: March 4, 2005
Type: Movie
Restaurant supervisor Jill (Karena Lam) has a handsome boyfriend Chi On (Wu Bing), but she is just his backup girlfriend. She knows she is the other girl, but her hope for being his one and only has never ceased until he changes his formal girlfriend once again. All her anger goes to her co-worker Jack (Ekin Cheng), who appears to be a womanizer but indeed shares a similar unfortunate romantic situation of being the backup boyfriend of an airhostess. Knowing that both are victims in romantic relationships, Jack and Jill no longer spar with each other and a liking between them start to develop
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Six Strong Guys
Title: Six Strong Guys
Character: 丁丁
Released: September 2, 2004
Type: Movie
Four men meet up on the rooftop of an office block for an unusual suicide plan. Driven to the edge by problems and stresses, are going to jump off the roof in a protest against the miserable lives of men. They are in for a big surprise when two more unexpected "guests" with the same suicidal intent join them and share a man-to-man talk.
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Super Model
Title: Super Model
Character: Inspector Karena Zhang
Released: June 17, 2004
Type: Movie
Super model Mandom (Ronald Cheng) is very famous in the field. One day, he is threatened by someone, asking him not to attend a model competition. Mandom calls for police and Madam Cheung (Karena Lam) is sent to bodyguard him 24 hours a day. However they have hostile feeling to each other. At the same time, Mandom also faces a challenger Fantasy (Sammy). How can Mandom fight against Fantasy in the model competition?
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Koma
Title: Koma
Character: Suen Ling
Released: April 27, 2004
Type: Movie
A horrid crime was committed at a wedding reception and bridesmaid Chi Ching was the lone eyewitness. At the police station, she recognised the suspect, Suen Ling, in a line up. She also discovered the affair between this stranger and her lover. All of a sudden the emotional turmoil surrounding her chronic illness resurfaced and quickly grew beyond control.
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Moon Wall
Title: Moon Wall
Released: January 1, 2004
Type: Movie
A musical film Commissioned by now.com.hk
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The Floating Landscape
Title: The Floating Landscape
Character: Maan
Released: October 16, 2003
Type: Movie
Maan has recently lost her lover, Sam, a painter who died tragically of an incurable disease. Before his death, he was remembering a beautiful landscape from the days when he was still a boy living in Qingdao in China. Maan goes to Qingdao to find this landscape. There, she meets Lit (Liu Ye), a postman who will help her to find that place. A relationship grows between Maan and Lit but she can't forget the love she had for Sam.
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Heroic Duo
Title: Heroic Duo
Character: Brenda
Released: July 31, 2003
Type: Movie
Tough cop Ken Li (Cheng) is at the top of his game, but he's going to need some help to solve a grisly crime that the offender, a respected police officer, doesn't even remember committing. He seeks out Jack Lai (Lai), a former psychologist now in disgrace and behind bars, who has an uncanny ability to bend people to his will. Making an uneasy truce, this unconventional pair set out on a mission to find the man responsible, a master of hypnotism who will stop at nothing to get his revenge!
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Truth or Dare : 6th Floor Rear Flat
Title: Truth or Dare : 6th Floor Rear Flat
Character: Karena
Released: June 4, 2003
Type: Movie
Six Hong Kong roommates vow to each accomplish something daring or wonderful within one year.
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Tiramisu
Title: Tiramisu
Character: Jane Chan
Released: March 28, 2002
Type: Movie
Is the story of a man, Fung, in his early twenties living his life as a mail-man during the day and a janitor at night. One day, through fate and destiny, he manages to meet a beautiful girl, Jane, on a subway train while delivering a package. From this moment on his life will change forever.
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Inner Senses
Title: Inner Senses
Character: Cheung Yan
Released: March 28, 2002
Type: Movie
This is the story of Yan, a young woman haunted by fleeting images of what she believes to be dead people. Told that it is all in her mind by her psychologist Jim, Yan still cannot find any other explanations for her visions. Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when Jim begins seeing the same things she does and the two begin to unravel a mystery that leads to a forgotten past
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July Rhapsody
Title: July Rhapsody
Character: Woo Choy-lam
Released: March 14, 2002
Type: Movie
High school teacher Lam Yiu-Kwok is in the midst of a midlife crisis. His wife, Man-Ching, has been unfaithful; his friends are reaping the rewards of successful business careers while he earns a comparatively meager salary at an unglamorous job; and one of his young students, Choy-Lam, has fallen for him. When Man-Ching leaves for a month to help her former lover, a jealous Yiu-Kwok is tempted to retaliate by pursuing an affair with Choy-Lam.
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Saturday Date
Title: Saturday Date
Released: January 1, 1994
Type: Movie
plot is unknown
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Title: Golden Horse Awards
Character: Self
Released: October 31, 1962
Type: TV
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (Chinese: 台北金馬影展; pinyin: Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐngzhǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Kim-má iáⁿ-tián) is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is usually held in November or December in Taipei, although the event has also been held in other locations in Taiwan in recent times
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Worth the Wait
Title: Worth the Wait
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
An interwoven story about life, love and modern romance
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Daughter's Daughter
Title: Daughter's Daughter
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
Jin is in her 60s. Her husband gone, her concern is for daughter Zuer, in New York trying out IVF with her partner Michelle. When Jin receives news that Zuer and Michelle have died in an accident, she heads for NY. There, she has another shock: she has inherited Zuer’s embryo and it’s for her to decide its fate. Meanwhile, going to NY also forces Jin to face Emma, the daughter she gave up for adoption when she was 17.
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Beyond the Sin
Title: Beyond the Sin
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie