Chinese New Year flower and critter spotting on my second Chinese New Year hike of 2023 (Photo-essay)

On my hike last week, I had hoped to see Chinese New Year flowers -- seeing as it was Chinese New Year already and all -- but I came up blank on that score and wondered if Chinese New Year had come too early this year for the flowers to bloom.  A few days ago though, a friend posted her photos of these seasonal flora that I look forward to seeing each year on Facebook.  So I decided to hike this afternoon in sections of Tai Tam Country Park where I had come across clumps of Chinese New Year flowers in previous years.

I'm happy to report that I was successful in making some Chinese New Year flowers on my hike.  But, actually, there were fewer of them in bloom than when I hiked in the area on the 15th day of Chinese New Year last year.  On the other hand, I made quite a few critter spottings: specifically, of birds and boars.  And got in a generally nice hike on a beautiful blue sky, crisp air day.  So, all in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon out in the Hong Kong outdoors once more! :)

 

Proof that it really was a bright blue sky day! :)

 

When visibility is high, Tai Mo Shan can seem not so 

far away even when one's on Hong Kong Island!

 

Me and my (long) shadow out hiking in Hong Kong :)

 

If you can see beyond Kowloon Peak to a number of

other New Territories mountain ranges and mountains,

you know that the air is clear and visibility high that day! :)

 

Enough scenic views!  Now for some bird pics, including

of this fat orange breasted critter (who I'd appreciate

someone IDing for me!)

 

Another avian beauty that I'd appreciate getting an ID for!

 

Okay, at least I can ID these flowers with absolute certainty:

and yes, these are the famous Chinese New Year flowers! :)

 

And this, dear readers, is one of 10 wild boar

that I caught sight of on the hike today :)

Say I Do To Me is not the kind of work one expects from the director of Revolution of Our Times! (Film review)

  

Probably not the kind of film you'd expect to see

directed by Kiwi Chow (and co-produced 

by Chapman To) -- but it is so!

 

Say I Do To Me (Hong Kong, 2023)

- Kiwi Chow, director and co-scriptwriter (along with Frankie Chung and Isis To)

- Starring: Sabrina Ng Ping, Kelvin Chan Kin-long, Jacky Tong, Candy Lo, Mixson Wong

 

There are no two ways about it: this is a film I wish that I liked more than I do.  With Kiwi Chow at its helm, Chapman To among its producers and Gregory Wong in its cast, Say I Do To Me can't help but be considered super yellow (i.e., pro-democracy) based on its pedigree, and thus would be a movie that those who support the Yellow Economic Circle would feel they should go and watch.  And there's the added impetus that comes from wanting to view a Kiwi Chow film playing in Hong Kong cinemas because the feeling is that this is a rare treat; this not least since the chances of Revolution of Our Times, his protest documentary, ever being allowed to be screened in Hong Kong currently is very slim and ditto for Ten Years (the dystopian anthology which he directed a segment of) getting theatrical screenings again.

 

For those wondering how Say I Do To Me managed to be allowed to be screened in Hong Kong: suffice to say that this Chinese New Year offering is a very different beast from Chow's political works -- and I challenge you to find any overtly, or even covert, political content or messages in this fanciful film!  And while this movie focuses on romantic relationships like his Beyond the Dream (which was made in betweeen Ten Years and Revolution of Our Times), it's generally far lighter in mood than that 2019 romantic drama about the forbidden love between a man being treated for Psychosis and his psychological counselor.

Say I Do To Me's protagonist is a spirited young female Youtuber who declares to her audience that "I want to marry myself!".  Ping (who's played by real-life Youtuber, Sabrina Ng Ping) is the daughter of a woman (essayed by Isabel Chan) who's been married six times and likes to pretend that they are sisters rather than mother and daughter.  Declaring that "Marriage is a sham!", Ping decides to use that particular institution to get her channel 1 million subscribers by effectively turning it on its head -- and even making a mockery of it.  

In the process, Ping also involves herself in a big lie -- because, as is revealed early on in the movie, she's actually in a relationship with Dickson (portrayed by actor-filmmaker Kelvin Chan King-long), her professional partner as well as live-in lover!  Prior to Ping's "sologamy" declaration, the couple -- whose over-the-top cutesy ways some might find endearing, and others grating -- were co-stars on another Youtube channel.  But their clown-themed enterprise never attracted many fans; though it did gain Ping an ardent one in the super Christian Daniel (played by Jacky Tong), whose adoration of her rivals his devotion to Jesus Christ.

 

Ironically, even as Ping carries out this big charade, she inspires people (like the flawed but likeable characters essayed by Candy Lo and Mixson Wong) to be true to themselves.  And to love themselves too.  Which all sounds really positive and good -- except that, well, these folks' idol had effectively fooled them in her quest for clicks, subscribers and cash, and didn't actually practice what she so successfully preached!  

 

Something else that is troubling in the grand scheme of things: three of Ping's fans fall badly in love with her.  Throw in the fact that Dickson, who has taken up the role of "demon" to Ping's "angel" to rack up some drama, ends up losing control of his followers, and I think you can see how Say I Do To Me sets itself up to be an overly-complicated affair and, as it turns out, a messy plus farcical one too!

There are some filmmakers who do very well producing lighter fare who don't do so well when making serious works.  (I think of Steven Spielberg, whose openly commercial offerings tend to be more interesting than his "high brow" efforts.)  Kiwi Chow appears to be the opposite.  Which is sad because, among other things, the ability to make one's audience laugh a lot is something that should be prized.  For another, producing light entertainment would be the politically safer thing for him to do in current circumstances; this particularly since, unlike Chapman To (and a few -- the majority even -- of his Ten Years co-directors), he appears intent on remaining in Hong Kong for some time to come.  

My rating for this film: 6.0

A Guilty Conscience is a far more serious film than one expects a Chinese New Year movie to be! (Film review)

  

Hong Kong poster for the first Hong Kong movie

I've viewed in the new year of the rabbit :) 

 

A Guilty Conscience (Hong Kong, 2023)

- Jack Ng, director and co-scriptwriter (along with Terry Lam and Jay Cheung)

- Starring: Dayo Wong, Renci Yeung, Ho Ka-wai, Louise Wong, Tse Kwan-ho, Michael Wong, Fish Liew, etc.

 

After emerging as Hong Kong's Chinese New Year box office king in 2018 (with Agent Mr Chan), everything that one time "box office poison" Dayo Wong touches has appeared to turn to gold.  And even though cinema closures resulting from Hong Kong's fifth Covid wave turned 2022's Table for Six from a Chinese New Year movie to a Mid-Autumn Festival offering, it didn't hurt the film's box office performance.  In fact, it is now Hong Kong's highest grossing comedy ever -- and, amazingly, is still playing in at least one cinema more than four months after being its theatrical release.

 

This has resulted in a situation in which two films starring Dayo Wong are currently in Hong Kong cinemas.  But rather than compete with one another, Table for Six actually helped provide publicity for A Guilty Conscience -- in that at the end of the 2022 movie, vieweres were treated to a clip of Dayo Wong as the character he portrays in the 2023 film: which is one of Hong Kong's three Chinese New Year offerings this year but differs quite a bit from tradition in that it's far more of a serious legal drama than a family-oriented comedy a la the All's Well, Ends Well or I Love Hong Kong festive movies.

 

In the early stages of A Guilty Conscience, lawyer-turned-magistrate-turned-lawyer-once more Adrian Lam (Dayo Wong's character) comes across as a laughably feckless individual.  But after an act of irresponsible negligence on his part causes his client to be sentenced to 17 years imprisonment, he resolves to turn over a new leaf and fight to clear the name of Jolene Tsang (portrayed by Louise Wong), the mother wrongly accused of being responsible for the death of her beloved daughter.

 

After reassembling the young legal team -- consisting of the idealistic Evelyn Fong (essayed by Renci Yeung) and resourceful "Prince" (played by Ho Kai-wa) -- that he realised he had badly let down along with their client, Adrian goes to court and finds himself up against a formidable opponent in the ultra-professional prosecutor, Mr. Kam (Tse Kwan-ho).  Adding to the enormity of his task is the fact that Jolene turned out to be the mistress of Dr Desmond Chung (played by Adam Pak), whose entitled wife, Victoria (portrayed by Fish Liew) is a member of one of Hong Kong's richest and most influential families, and thus someone used to getting her way with pretty much anything.

 

Although Jolene's innocence is established very early on, the viewer need not worry about there being insufficient surprises, twists and turns in this actually pretty involving tale.  Also, while it's true enough that some of the proceedings -- and Adrian's court antics -- can seem overly and improbably dramatic, I think that those viewing A Guilty Conscience won't mind this too much as they help to make the movie interesting and thoroughly entertaining, and hammer home certain heartfelt plus hard hitting points about Hong Kong society and its justice system.  (A case in point: that moment when Adrian shouts out "Everything is wrong!" in court is one that I wager will resonate with many of the movie's local viewers.)  

 

I'm going to be honest and admit that I had my doubts that Dayo Wong could pull off a performance that was largely dramatic rather than comic (though, Dayo Wong being Dayo Wong, he still does get in, and ellicit, some laughs along the way) -- but he really did so.  Truly, A Guilty Conscience benefits from his star turn -- though credit is also due to the other members of the movie's strong as well as large ensemble cast (who include entertainment veterans Vincent Kok and Bowie Lam).  Even Michael Wong (who plays the Chung family's legal advisor, James Tung, in his imitable bilingual way) acquits himself rather well in this film whose first-time helmer, Jack Ng, looks to have done a bravura job as a director and scriptwriter (the latter along with debutant scriptwriters Terry Lam and Jay Cheung).    

 

More than incidentally, I find it of note that, like with last year's The Sparring Partner, this legal drama actually highlights the important role that the jury has to play in legal proceedings.  At a time when so many important cases in national security law-era Hong Kong have been ordered to be jury-less trials, this element can make a movie like A Guilty Conscience represent wishful thinking or plain fantasy on the part of its makers.  Or, alternatively, a reminder of how justice should be served and that might is not always right, with the underdog able to have its day some day(s).

 

My rating for this film: 8.5  

A Chinese New Year hike with various interesting sightings

A greeting that's still valid as today's just the 3rd day

of Chinese New Year! :)

 

Something many (all?) of us would like to have this year!

 

I went out hiking yesterday, the second day of Chinese New Year.  For a change, I decided to go on on that would take place partly after dark. (I don't usually do this but I know that the Victoria Peak Circuit is lighted -- and, in fact, have been on it in the dark twice before.)  And while my plan to catch the sunset from the Peak wasn't entirely successful (due to conditions being hazier than I would have liked), I did get the views of the city lights that I had hoped -- and more because, as it turned out, I also was treated to the sight of various new year messages put up on the sides of Hong Kong's tallest building, the International Commerce Centre (ICC) over in West Kowloon. 

Along with "Happy New Year"(note: no "Chinese" or "lunar" specified; there's no need since we are in Hong Kong and everyone knows which new year people are currently celebrating!), there were wishes put up for "Good health" along with such as "Good luck", "Happiness" and "Prosperity".  Speaking of good health: Three years ago yesterday was when the Mainland Chinese city of Wuhan went into lock down for the first time as a result of what was then referred to as the Wuhan coronavirus (but now is more frequently referred to as Covid).  

 

And three years ago today was a strange Chinese New Year Eve: one which saw Hong Kong still in turmoil (a reminder: the anti-extradition bill/pro-democracy street protests continued past 2019 and through to July 1st, 2020, the first full day of Hong Kong's national security law era); and also feeling like we were in the calm before the storm phase of a new pandemic.  And so it proved, with things changing really quickly and dramatically on the health front.

 

A measure of how quickly things changed back in January 2020: On the first day of Chinese New Year, 2020, I went out hiking (with a friend) and didn't see anyone wearing a mask out on the trails.  The next day, I went out hiking again -- and on the second day of Chinese New Year, 2020, I saw a number of hikers wearing surgical masks, including up on Mount Butler; a 436-meter-high hill on Hong Kong Island that I have to admit to panting quite a bit whenever I hike up it!    

 

Fast forward to Chinese New Year 2023 and masking is still required in Hong Kong for the most part -- but not in country parks and/or when exercising.  Even so, I saw quite a number of masked folks on the Peak Circuit yesterday.  Something quite different from my recent excursions in the area: the presence of tourists; including those speaking Mandarin but also such as Korean and Western languages other than English.

 

I know that the tourist influx to Hong Kong is by no means at the level that it was prior to 2020 but I must say it was a shock to see so many people at the Peak yesterday.  And while the bus I took up to Victoria Gap yesterday was not full, the queues for transportation going down were far longer than I would have liked -- and yes, part of me regrets having gone up to the Peak yesterday (and, also, not hiking down from it like is actually what I do -- be it down to Kennedy Town, Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen, etc.)!     

Ah well, at least I did get in some cool sights yesterday evening -- which, by the way, included my first wild boar spotting of 2023!  (For the record: it was a young boar; and I sincerely hope that it will be okay -- rather than hunted down by the authorities.)  On the other hand, I've yet to come across any Chinese New Year flowers this year.  Maybe (hopefully) I'll be able to remedy this situation on my next hike! :) 

A new rabbit year has come around -- and attendant Miffy madness in at least one part of Hong Kong! :D (Photo-essay)

Sun nin fai lok!  That's the Cantonese phrase for "Happy new year!"  I can hear you ask: What about Kong hei fatt choi?  Well, would you believe it if I told you that it actually means "Wishing you wealth and prosperity" -- with no actual reference to a new year celebration?!   (And the same goes, by the way, to Gong xi fa cai -- which is the equivalent Mandarin phrase -- or, say, Keong hee huat chai -- which is the equivalent Hokkien phrase!   

Speaking of new years: I grew up wishing people "Happy Chinese new year" in English but in recent years, there's been a movement -- especially, it seems, among North Americans of Chinese descent and/or with other Asian ancestry -- to get people to wish others a "Happy lunar new year" instead.  I know the reasoning behind it but I must admit to thinking it's flawed; this, since, among other things, "the Chinese Agricultural Calendar is indeed a “Lunisolar calendar” (陰陽合曆), not a sheer "Lunar calendar" (陰曆)".  (For more, read this great Twitter thread on the matter by Chau Wun-liong.)

 

In an attempt to try to bypass this controversy, some other folks (here in Hong Kong and in various other parts of the world which is celebrating Chinese New Year) have taken to wishing people "Happy new year of the rabbit"!  Which is fine; except that it's worth noting that, for the Vietnamese, it's the new year of the cat!  In any case, it can feel like it's the (new) year of Miffy in Hong Kong; especially if one is in Cityplaza -- a shopping mall which has opted to showcase the white cat from the Netherlands this festive season!  

Photographic evidence that Cityplaza really has 

gone big on Miffy this festive season!

 

Happy new year of the rabbit, 2023!

 

An introduction to Miffy, for those unfamiliar 

with the white rabbit with the X for a mouth

 

Just one of the large Miffy statues about the place

 

A man posing for a photo with another large Miffy figurine

(And yes, it's mainly adults that I saw posing for pics with Miffy!)

 

Miffy-themed lai see hanging from a tree

 

More Miffy images at the ice skating rink in the mall

And the Miffy mania extended to the mall elevators too! :D

Leaving Hong Kong -- even for just a vacation, rather than permanently -- is not something to be taken lightly these days!

A plane in the Hong Kong sky is a far rarer sight

than used to be the case pre-pandemic... :S
 

I learnt late last night that one more friend has left Hong Kong.  He was one of the original of the handful friends I had when I moved here in May 2007 -- and the last time I saw him was at another friend's farewell dinner a couple of months back.  It's a good thing I've made other friends in Hong Kong over the years, huh?!

 

Speaking of which: I had dinner earlier this week with two friends and their friends (who may in time become my friends too -- one way I've made new friends in recent years!). A t one point, conversation turned to travelling for fun -- something which used to be the norm for all of us but which hasn't been for me during the pandemic years.  And, in fact, I've not been out of Hong Kong since October 2019 (on a Japan trip that I've yet to finish chronicling!)!

 

I think being out of practice in terms of booking flights and such is one reason why I've not done yet to do so now that Hong Kong's finally dropped much of its travel/pandemic regulations. And then there's the sticker shock that I felt a need to brace myself for.  At the very least, I knew that it would not be a good thing (for my wallet, among other things) to travel over the lunar new year period. I've been hearing/reading tales like the following (in this Hong Kong Economic Journal piece for some time now:

Travellers who want to go outside Hong Kong during the upcoming Lunar Chinese New Year would find themselves paying much more than it was before China started allowing its citizens to travel after nearly three years of travel restrictions.

Friends leaving for Japan, the always No.1 destination for locals because of its proximity, nice surroundings and above all, food, said they are paying double, if not triple, room rates than last year"!

And even after I decided to bite the bullet and book flights for after Chinese New Year, the sticker shock really was quite the shock. As in the price I got for the flights was at least twice as much as used to be the case for the route pre-pandemic! 

Returning to quoting the Hong Kong Economic Journal piece whose headline queried "Is 2023 the year of expensive travel? (and whose short answer would appear to be an emphatic "Yes!"):

If travel cost is not an issue, flight capacity might be.

HK Express, the budget airline owned by Cathay Pacific, cancelled dozens more flights to Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa in the first two weeks of February as Japan imposed limits on the number of flights each carrier can operate from Hong Kong to Japan.

For those planning to go this month, chances are their itinerary would be disrupted by Cathay’s union work-to-rule strike starting 19 January.

The union complained about manpower cut on flights, reduction in welfare and excessive workload. Flights between Hong Kong and Japan, for instance, had only four flight attendants, instead of the usual seven crew members to serve 288 passengers in the premium economy and economy class on each flight, the union reportedly claimed. 

Not ideal, to say the least!  Also, I've found out that no airline has returned to offering in-town check-in at Airport Express stations; something which was oh so convenient and great.  Also, that the Airport Express trains still don't operate on "regular" schedule (i.e., the schedule which it had prior to 2020).  

 

So much for Hong Kong being "back" as the Hong Kong government being bent on insisting, never mind being back to what passed off as "normal" in the Big Lychee pre-pandemic, never mind before all the pro-democracy protests in which millions of Hong Kongers took part, that the authorities consider to have been so disruptive and damaging to the city's reputation (more so, apparently, than even the draconian national security law that descended upon Hong Kong on June 30th, 2020)!

Sedition law arrests on a day when Article 23 and the national security law also figure in the news

Clothes for sale at the Ladies Market in Mongkok, including

a "Tirger" that doesn't appear to be illegal (yet!)

 

Before anything else: the Focus on the Frontline photography exhibition I blogged about having gone to see over the weekend has been extended to January 30th.  (It was originally scheduled to close yesterday -- January 16th.)   For those who want to go check it out: The Hong Kong Press Photographers Association's photos are on display at the Form Society which is open daily (except for Tuesdays) from 12noon to 7pm.  

After going to that exhibition in Sham Shui Po that afternoon, I went over to Mongkok to check out a Yellow Economic Circle pop up bazaar whose vendors were selling a range of items that included Taiwanese alcohol, handmade leather goods, handknit clothing, Minions merchandise, and snacks.  If truth be told, I thought the bazaar to be on the small and limited side, and ended up not buying anything at it.

 

On the way in, I spotted a police van parked nearby.  I chalked it down to the police doing that to intimidate "yellow" vendors and (potential) customers but didn't give it too much thought since, sadly, police vehicles as well as police officers have become a near ubiquitous presence on the streets of Hong Kong in recent years -- just one more thing that makes Hong Kong feel like a police state.       

As it turns out, this evening came news that the police have raided the bazaar and arrested six individuals and, according to reporter Rachel Cheung, "arrested six people on suspicion of “committing acts with seditious intent” for publishing a book that recorded the events that happened in Hong Kong from June 2019 to February 2020. They accused the book of promoting the city's independence".  Honestly, this comes across as one more Streisand effect action on the part of the Hong Kong authorities; this because when I was at the bazaar, the offending tome didn't attract much interest on the part of any of the shoppers present at all!

 

AFP's Xinqi Su reports that "The 6 arrestees include 3 men and 3 women, aged 18 to 62. Their shops, relevant printing shops and their homes have been searched."  She also Tweeted that: "43 books and other “seditious items” were seized."  And for the record: "This is the largest single arrest made by the national security police since last April , when 4 men and 2 women aged 32 to 67, were arrested over “sedition” for clapping at the verdict hearing of the incitement case against #HKAlliance ex leader Chow Hang-tung."

 

On the same day as Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee outlined his hopes and plans for the much reviled Article 23 of the Basic Law to be passed some time this year, or 2024 at the latest, the authorities served up reminders that they already have plenty of laws to suppress people with.  Specifically, in addition to the national security law that the Chinese government imposed on Hong Kong on June 30th, 2020, there's also the sedition law, described in a July 2022 Hong Kong Free Press explainer as  "one of Hong Kong’s legacies from the British colonial government, ...unused for over half a century until its revival in the aftermath of the 2019 extradition bill protests and unrest [and] increasingly used against purported security threats, although some critics see it as a deterrent to free speech and to legitimate criticism of the administration."

 

And speaking of the national security law: here's a periodic reminder that the trial involving the 47 pro-democracy politicians and activists arrested on February 28th, 2021, for allegedly breaking it has yet to begin.  Instead, we are still at the pre-trial review stage; with today seeing a shock development involving one of the 17 defendants who had indicated that they will plead not guilty deciding to plead guilty after all.

 

Why Mike Lam, best known as the co-owner (with his wife) of  Abouthai, a chain of grocery stores and supermarkets that specialises in selling Thai and "yellow" Hong Kong products, has decided to do so has not yet been revealed.  I must say though that I hope that the 16 defendants who continue to plead not guilty stay strong.  And for the record, they are: Cheung Tat-hung (AKA Tat Cheng), Clarisse Yeung, Michael Pang, Kalvin Ho, Lawrence Lau Wai-chung, Helena Wong, Sze Tak-loy, Gwyneth Ho, Raymond "Ray" Chan, Owen Chow, Lam Cheuk-ting, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, Ricky Or, Lee Yue-shun, Winnie Yu, and Gordon Ng; and yes, include a number of people I greatly respect.     

An afternoon on the Dark Side of Hong Kong during which I saw darkness but also hope

 

One of the photos on display at an exhibition I went to this afternoon

 

I went to lunch over on "the Dark Side" today.  This is a nickname that Hong Kong expats (who stereotypically live on Hong Kong Island -- and are also are more likely to live on Lamma Island or Discovery Bay than Kowloonside -- have for Kowloon.

 

Along the way, I passed by the building that used to house the June 4th Museum that was dedicated to keeping the memory of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of June 4th, 1989, alive, and which was pressured to close and then was raided by the police in September 2021.  Incidentally, a cavernous cinema known as the Dynasty Theatre used to be located nearby.  I say "used to be" because where the 1,920 capacity screening venue was is curently a building site.  

 

Also previously located in the area was the China Cafe, an atmospheric cha chaan teng that was the location for a number of Milkyway Image movies (including, most famously, PTU).  I have to say that I didn't have the heart to go and see what's now in its place.

After lunch (at a popular eatery that's announced that it will be closing sometime next month -- but hopefully will be reopening at another location), I headed over to check out an exhibition put on by the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association.  Entitled Focus on the Frontline 2021, it comprises prize-winning photographs from journalists who covered a range of events including sporting ones (such as the 2021 Tokyo Olympics) and also those which were darker in nature.  These included the stabbing of a policeman outside the Causeway Bay SOGO on July 1st, 2021, by a man who subsequently killed himself, and also a number that turned out to be related to the commemoration of the Tiananmen Square Massacre here in Hong Kong.

More specifically, there's a photo showing the police loading confiscated June 4th Museum items (that included a cardboard cutout of the late pro-democracy activist-politician and chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Szeto Wah, holding a commerative candle in his hand).  There also are photos showing the dismantling and removal of the Pillar of Shame from its previously prominent location at the University of Hong Kong's campus. 

 

On display at the exhibition too is a photo of Chow Hang-tung, the lawyer-activist who is actively seeking to keep the flame of the Hong Kong Alliance and the right of people to commemorate the Tianamen Square Massacre in Hong Kong alive even while fighting for her own freedom (and against Hong Kong government efforts to keep her in prison for many years to come).  Seeing the image of her with her inflatable bed in her office really hammers home how dedicated and committed to the cause she is, and has been for years now.

A blurb for the exhibition includes the following paragraphs:

In the past few years, the social and media environment in Hong Kong has undergone tremendous changes. Several influential mainstream media and online media have suddenly ceased operations. Become a freelance photographer.

However, while facing the changes, the photographers still only stayed at their posts until the last moment, shooting wonderful news works with historical significance, and witnessing the transformation of the city together with the citizens.

Some of the photographs give one a real sense of the yeoman efforts and work of Hong Kong's press photographers.  Truly, there are times when I think that they (along with many a journalist, editor (like former Stand News chief editor, Chung Pui-kuen  and publisher (notably Next Digital's Jimmy Lai) truly have been pretty heroic; with many of them going beyond the call of duty to make sure people see what's been going on in the world of Hong Kongers.

I also got the sense from the exhibition that many of the photographs were of people that the photojournalists and/or curators of the exhibition respect and admire, and consider heroes too.   These include Olympians who've brought glory to Hong Kong, notably fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long and swimmer Siobhan Haughey, and also the likes of singer-activist (and former 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund trustee) Denise Ho and filmmaker Kiwi Chow. 

More re Kiwi Chow: his protest documentary, Revolution of Our Times, may never be allowed to be screened in cinemas in Hong Kong but his latest effort, a Chinese New Year comedy entitled Say I Do To Me(!), is scheduled to play in local cinemas over the festive period (and beyond).  And for those who didn't realize: yes, he has remained in Hong Kong all this time.  And it's good to see that he -- and the likes of the similarly openly pro-democracy Anthony Wong Chau-sang -- still are able to find work and an audience in their home city... which may be down and facing dark times but really ought not to be counted out (just yet)!

More Brilliance, Still -- The D&B Story Redux exhibition at the Hong Kong Film Archive (Photo-essay)

Blogging about Michelle Yeoh a couple of days ago got me realizing that I've not yet blogged about the More Brilliance, Still Different -- The D&B Story Redux exhibition currently on at the Hong Kong Film Archive.  A sequel to a 2020 exhibition that I sadly missed, it focuses on the people behind -- and who were a part of D&B, a Hong Kong film company founded by magnate Dickson Poon (the D of D&B),  actor-filmmaker Sammo Hung Kam-bo (the B of D&B) and actor-filmmaker John Sham that produced a good number of hit films and interesting cinematic works in the eight years that it was in existence.  

 

Among D&B titles that will be familiar to Hong Kong movie buffs are: Hong Kong 1941 (1984); Yes, Madam! (1985); Dream Lovers (1986); Royal Warriors (1986); Love Unto Waste (1986); Passion (1986); Legacy of Rage (1986);  An Autumn's Tale (1987); Tiger Cage (1988); Tiger Cage II (1990); and Black Cat (1991).  Something else worth noting: while D&B was founded by men and of course produced male-centric movies, it also funded a number of films, including actioners, with women (including a certain Michelle Yeoh) in lead roles and that were directed by women (notably Sylvia Chang and Mabel Cheung) too.  

Images from D&B films adorn the front entrance of the 

Hong Kong Film Archive (when I went to view a D&B film

screening as part of an associated program there)

 

Collage of stills from the D&B screening program

 

The sight that greeted me when I entered into 

the Hong Kong Film Archive's Exhibiion Hall

 

A section of the exhibition showcasing some of the

awards won by people working on D&B films (which

included Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards trophies)

 

A section of the exhibition hall where one can view

clips from various D&B films (on view in the picture: 

one from Passion, directed by and starring Sylvia Chang)

 

A section where you can see and hear directors (in this case, 

Mabel Cheung) talking about their D&B experiences

 

 

One also gets to "hear" from the likes of stuntman/

stunt director/actor Chin Kar Lok via panels like this
 

D&B Calendar Cards from 1986 -- who can you 

recognize from among the 12 individuals represented? :)

(Click on the image to view an enlarged version of it!)

Michelle Yeoh -- from Malaysia to Golden Globes via Hong Kong

Michelle Yeoh panel that's part of the More Brilliance,

Still Different -- The D&B Story Redux exhibition

at the Hong Kong Film Archive

 

Let's talk about Michelle Yeoh.  The star of Everything Everywhere All At Once won the Golden Globes award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Film today -- and not only did it prompt talk of an Oscar win to follow but heated efforts to proclaim both her Malaysian roots and Hong Kong connections by government figures as well as ordinary citizens.

 

In Malaysia, it seemed that she was being forgiven -- at least for the time being -- for her championing, then seeming disavowal, of disgraced prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.  And many a Malaysian delighted in trumpeting her being a fellow Malaysian who had brought honor to their country.  Meanwhile, Hong Kong Culture Secretary Kevin Yeung also extended congratulations to Michelle Yeoh on her Golden Globe triumph; a move that attracted derision on the part of many Hong Kongers.      

The issue for many Hong Kongers appears to be that Kevin Yeung had claimed that Michelle Yeoh was a Hong Kong actor.  There are those who just simply will find fault and disagree with ANYTHING the Hong Kong government says or does.  Then there are those who will claim or appear to infer that one can't be both a Malaysian and a Hong Konger.  Or, at the very least, that one can no longer be associated with Hong Kong after one moves elsewhere -- despite having lived their previously for years, even decades: an assumption that I find problematic because, well, there are now quite a number of Hong Kongers living outside of Hong Kong. 

 

For my part, I'm not entirely certain that Kevin Yeung had, in fact, claimed that Michelle Yeoh was a Hong Konger.  Also, I'm not entirely sure that Michelle Yeoh has never described herself as a Hong Kong actress because I have vague -- possibly erroneous, but they do exist -- memories of her doing that back when she was living and working in Hong Kong.

And here's the thing: Michelle Yeoh most definitely born in Malaysia and is a Malaysian citizen.  But she's actually never appeared in a Malaysian movie -- or, as far as I can recall, ever played a Malaysian in a movie!  

On the other hand, she's played Hong Kongers in many a (Hong Kong) movie.  And Hong Kong's film industry is definitely that where she was trained, got her breaks (in some cases, literally!) and became a star.  Long before Hollywood came calling and she started being seen as an international Asian megastar.

 

For my part, because I first saw her in Hong Kong movies, I do tend to regard her a Hong Kong film actress -- even while also being very aware that she was a Malaysian citizen -- in that she is a star of Hong Kong cinema.  And yes, that's so to this today; not least because I don't feel that she's completely said goodbye to the Hong Kong phase of her career.  It was just in 2018, after all, that I most recently viewed her in a Hong Kong movie: Yuen Wo-ping's Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy; which, for the record, came out in the same year as -- but months after -- Crazy Rich Asians. 

But is Michelle Yeoh a Hong Konger?  From what I've read, she no longer maintains a home in Hong Kong.  And it's possible that she no longer has Hong Kong permanent residency; but, then again, she might.  Something else that matters a lot to many Hong Kongers is that she has never made any statements about Hong Kong's political situation.  (But, then, she might have decided not to do so based on how she got burnt over the ones she made in Malaysia!)

 

Still, I think it's safe to say that Michelle Yeoh still has personal and professional connections and ties in, and to, Hong Kong.  She's spent the better part of her life her, after all; and far more of her adult life here than in Malaysia, in fact.  And I think it's also fair to say that she is/was a major star of Hong Kong cinema. 

 

So, yes, a part of me hopes -- though doesn't expects -- that should she win the Best Actress Oscar this year, that she'll mention, many even thank, Hong Kong cinema in her acceptance speech, even if not Hong Kong itself.  As a fellow Malaysian Tweeted (back in April 2012!):  "Michelle [Y]eoh warga Malaysia. Dan menyinar di Hong Kong".  Put in English: "Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian citizen.  And shines/shone in Hong Kong".     

The Sunny Side of the Street shines a light on a different side of Hong Kong from what audiences usually see (Film review)

Its official cinema release date is March 31st

but there are preview screenings taking place already!

 

The Sunny Side of the Street (Hong Kong-Malaysia, 2022)

- Ray Lau Kok Rui, director and scriptwriter

- Starring: Anthony Wong Chau-sang, Sahal Zaman, Endy Chow, Inderjeet Singh

 

Although its Hong Kong cinematic run is scheduled to only begin in March of this year, quite a few of people had already heard of The Sunny Side of the Street even before 2023 came along.  This is because this understated drama about a far-from-model father and a less-than-model son was nominated for six Golden Horse Awards last November and ended up winning not only its debutant director-scriptwriter, Ray Lau Kok Rui, the best original screenplay and new director prizes but also its main star, Anthony Wong Chau-sang, his first ever Golden Horse best actor honors.

 

Upon viewing The Sunny Side of the Street, I do think that these accolades are well deserved.  Anthony Wong's assured portrayal of a taxi driver named Yat -- who has a crusty exterior but good heart -- gives this thoughtful film a strong emotional anchor.  At the same time, one can see how Ray Lau's script provides the character of Yat a psychological complexity that is revealed layer by layer the further along into the movie one goes.

 

Early on in this dramatic offering, it's shown that Yat is emotionally distant, even estranged, from his police officer son (portrayed by Endy Chow), whose wedding dinner he walks out of midway through.  The reasons why come to light in heartbreaking, yet never emotionally overwrought, scenes later in the movie.  Even more tragic is the reason why Yat comes to feel obligated to take care of, and do good, by a young refugee boy named Hassan (played by Sahal Zaman) whose father (sensitively essayed by Inderjeet Singh) was a lawyer in Pakistan before he and his long-suffering wife (played by Kiranjeet Gill) fled to Hong Kong some 10 years ago. 

 

Born in Hong Kong, fluent in Cantonese as well as Urdu, and someone who's never been out of the New Territories (even to Kowloon), 10-year-old Hassan becomes a truant from school and turns to a life of petty crime; partly, one gets the sense, because no one -- not his parents, teachers, etc. -- seemed to realize how bad his eyesight was as well as because he came to fall in with the wrong crowd.  And it's not exactly like Yat -- whose physical health has been adversely by his alcoholic ways -- is the best influence in the world that Hassan could have.  But in the relatively short time that they know each other, the "taxi lo" is able to show the young boy new views (sometimes literally) and provide him with new experiences (some more positive than others).

 

Through The Sunny Side of the Street, Ray Lau Kok Rui also shows his film's audience new and/or alternative perspectives on Hong Kong.  A Malaysian immigrant to the city, he knows what it's like to not be a local -- and also how a good many Hong Kongers, even ones who are ethnic Chinese and native Cantonese speakers, are, in fact, fellow immigrants too.  And I don't think it's a coincidence that the vast majority, if not all, of the main and supporting characters in the movie turn out to not have been born in Hong Kong; irregardless of the color of their skin.

 

Speaking of which: it's impossible to not notice the prominent roles given to a number of non-ethnic Chinese individuals in The Sunny Side of the Street.  In recent years, there have been a number of Hong Kong films with such, including 2021's The Dishwasher Squad and Drifting, 2020's Hand-Rolled Cigarette, 2019's Memories to Choke On, Drinks to Wash Them Down (one of whose co-directors, Leung Ming-kai, is this film's cinematographer), and 2018's Still Human (one of whose stars was Anthony Wong) and Big Brother.  And I think it's fair to say that, admirably, few of these characters are one-dimensional stereotypes nor their particular cultural identity throwaway elements in the movies.

 

My sense is that this is the result of realizations latterly made about Hong Kong (multi-)cultural identity and community.  And I welcome this in terms of it helping to increase the richness of (portrayals of people in) Hong Kong cinema.  I wonder whether this will help The Sunny Side of the Street find an audience beyond Hong Kong -- including Ray Lau's native Malaysia; this even though there's no denying nevertheless that this cinematic work is, actually, a very Hong Kong movie: one shot and set entirely in Hong Kong, and using the filmmakers' knowledge of this part of the world to tell well a tale that is simultaneously local, inter-cultural, personal, (socio-culturally) political, timely and for the ages.

 

My rating for this film: 8.0