What is HK cultural connotation?
According to Cultural Atlas Editors (2016), Tenacity（韧性）, Energy（活力）, Pluralism（多元化）, Entrepreneurism（企业家精神）, Materialism（唯物主义）, Confucianism（儒家思想） and Face（面子）are the core values of Hong Kong people.
These values were affected by the history of Hong Kong, where was under British control as a central port of trade before being reclaimed by China in 1997. After the hand-over in 1997, Hong Kong is a territory of China that is separately governed and has a high degree of autonomy. Today, Hong Kong is a major global financial hub with an urban-centric and cosmopolitan lifestyle, and a highly educated population. The city’s international outlook, influenced by its global economic positioning and past British governance, has integrated Western values into Asian society. Despite being predominantly ethnic Chinese (92%), Hong Kong’s culture distinguishes itself from mainland China (Cultural Atlas Editors, 2016).
The relationship between films and the cultural connotation
The fusion of traditional Chinese, British, and Western cultures is also reflected in the themes and content of Hong Kong films, which have gained popularity not only in the domestic market but also among audiences in mainland China, Southeast Asia, and even globally. But in recent year, many argue that HK cinema is dead. On one hand, the J-pop and Hallyu (Korean wave) are sweeping the world, the young generation of audiences pay more attention to K-dramas, films, entertainment and culture.
About a month before the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in 2020, the Korean movie “Parasite” won four awards, including the Best Film Award at the Oscars. The global popularity of the Korean boy band BTS is greater than ever, having topped the Billboard chart for many weeks in a row. Not to mention the popularity of K-dramas with worldwide records on platforms like Netflix. Korea’s experience in developing the cultural and creative sectors (CCS)1 has been remarkable and unique in terms of its scale and speed. In the cultural contents industry, including films, videos, games, and drama, Korea has 2.6% of the global market share, which is the seventh-largest in the world, generating about USD$ 114 billion in sales, USD$ 10.3 billion in exports, and 680,000 jobs. Moreover, it has been constantly and rapidly growing with an expected continued growth of 4.4% through 2022.
Source: https://www.oecd.org/country/korea/thematic-focus/cultural-and-creative-sectors-1573f603/
On the other hand, more and more films of the new generation of HK filmmakers have been recognized and praised by the public. Especially in 2021, Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung, as the first Hong Kong-born filmmaker, the film “Better Days” directed by him, to be in the running for a best international feature film Oscar. Besides “Better Days”, Edmund Lee also pointed out that “Socially conscious films by young directors that tackle humanistic topics such as mental illness, poverty and old age are also finding considerable acclaim.”
Just out of jail, Fai finds a spot on a street corner where other homeless people welcome him. But he doesn’t get much time to settle in. The police soon chase them away, and their possessions disappear into a garbage truck. Young social worker Ms Ho thinks it’s time to fight this in court. In the meantime, Fai and his friends have other concerns.
A story of how a retired British-Chinese soldier and a marginalized young South Asian man face the plight of being abandoned by society. This film received 7 nominations at the 57th Golden Horse Film Awards, 7 nominations at the 2022 Hong Kong Film Awards (Best New Director Winner).
A bullied teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious young man who protects her from her assailants, all while she copes with the pressures of her final examinations.
1st Intervention
In order to explore and understand when people choosing to watch a film and attracted by the film, do they need the knowledge to access the film? If yes, how much do they need to be familiar with? And how much work does the audience need to do? Why? How to educate the audiences? Is it important to educate them? Why?
In terms of above questions, I plan to organise a very small scale exhibition featuring HK signituare factors (including the sounds of HK traffic light, Cantonese songs, pictures of HK neon banners（signs) in the street, classic and contemporary HK films posters as well as HK film screening (I plan to screen Drifting this time) and basic Cantonese phrase teaching as interactive activies during the event. Since this is the first attempt, I plan to invite no more than 8-10 people to the event. The acticities will be mainly about watching movie. But there will also be a poll attached under the sound and pictures of the show, asking the participants how much they know about these elements before.
The main purpose of the intervention is by engaging the senses, participants will gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s cultural connotations and characteristics, and develop a greater appreciation for this unique city’s rich history and identity.
After the event, I will conduct a questionnaire survey tu understand the participants’ previous familiarity with Hong Kong culture and whether this event can arouse their interest and understanding of Hong Kong activities. Below is the link of my draft questionnare.