Categories
Cinema

A Modern Decameron

An interview with artist and film director Rita Hui on her film Decameron. A

Your film is about resilience, how would define this? 

I think after 2019, we (the Hong Kong people) have ben mental prepared about the action from the government. During the time in 2019, one of the slogan which become the most important mind set of HK people “攪炒” “ Laam Chow”, what’s the meaning is “I want mutual destruction”/ “I want damage on all sides”/ “If we burn, you burn with us”. We have prepare the worst scenario, so we won’t surprise of what the government will do to the people. Also. The resisted become the daily activity, that is the normal life we have during the time in 2020, after the social movement in 2019. 

Everyday life in Hong Kong seemed routined, what were you saying to the audience with these settings?

One of the question we asked mostly in the early 2020: “How can we go back to the normal life?” and the further question is “ What’s normal life?” That’s the question we asked when we start to brainstorming the production, and also we want to capture the change of our daily life routine. Authority can easily change the daily routine, and the people can’t do anything to responded. When I go back to the history, hong kong history, and I found the pattern of history was make. The history is repeated. This is not the first time, to give a chance of the authority to control the people freedom. How we re-created the narrative of the daily routine, which is important.  

The Decameron, tales set during a plague, your title “Decameron” please explain the reference.

After finishing the film, we concerned that how can we explain, or situate the theme of film for overseas audience by creating an English name. Decameron came across in my mind, it is a 14th-century Italian novel by Boccaccio. This novel set its plot during a pandemic society, several people escaped from that pandemic and start telling story each other to kill time. Those stories revealed how the society was corrupted. The link between Decameron and nowadays Hong Kong is the downward spiral like initiating National Security Law (which means Reform in the point of view of government) happening in every single day, under the shadow of Covid-19 pandemic. And through the film, you can read different pieces of ours daily life, especially before NSL, it is a hybrid situation (we fight against the Virus and fight for freedom).

Hong Kong is a city with a complicated past, forced separation, now, what looks an unwilling reunification, with parts in different worlds, as a person and a city, how do you process these positions?  

This is a very difficult question. I don’t know how to position myself nowadays. The complicated past of Hong Kong, the colonial city, the immigration people, what we learn about democracy and freedom, human right from the past history, we hope we can be the master of our city. Now, the National Security Law become everything,  we don’t have the free speech anymore, we cant have our own emotion and creativity, we cant stand on our position, even I don’t know maybe my film is “allowed” or not “allowed” to show in Hong Kong under the red line. We don’t know where’s the red line. The film, maybe become the evidence of crime, that would make our crew in danger. Are we breaking the laws? I don’t know. What’s Law? What’s the nation security?

Why the nation security much important than people safety? We have lot of question, especial nowadays. In 2020, the daily routine I want to created in Decameron, which is the resisted from daily life. But in 2021, we hear the bad news day by day, and we can’t do anything. The powerless feeling become our collective emotion, and we don’t know what is next. The film, maybe cannot pass the censorship in Hong Kong, and the film for Hong Kong which is not able to be show in Hong Kong. 

Decameron was screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Categories
Travel

Stralsund Surprise

A local staycation delayed over the past few months finally happened. A travel to North Germany in June, not exactly the warmest summer destination, but well worth it. I was not familiar with Stralsund. A medieval Hansa League Baltic port city in Mecklenberg Vorpommern 280 km from Berlin. 

Having no expectations on my first visit, the surprise was genuine. A UNESCO World Heritage City, Stralsund, founded in 1234, offers a lot. Large churches, architecture, expressive color palette facades and cobblestone streets worthy of a few days of exploration.

Stay Tuned for Part 2. I have a lot of pictures to share.

Categories
Cinema

Round Up from Tribeca

The Tribeca Film Festival ended last week. I got a bit busy, but, I have a run down of the films I screened:

The Last Film Show

Legend of The Underground

Lost Leonardo

Lost Leonardo

Queen of Glory

Kubrick by Kubrick

Miss Panama

Bitchin: Sound and Fury of Rick James

Last Meal

Mark, Mary and Some Other People

Liza Anonymous

Accepted

Nando

Ferguson Rises

Jackie Collins

Stay Tuned for all my reviews and summaries.

Categories
Travel

Hansa

Stay tuned for the North Germany Hansa City tour.

Categories
Fashion

MFW Coming Soon

I have not forgotten Milan Fashion Week. I’m watching the new collections. Stay tuned for all the coverage.

Categories
Cinema

Tribeca-The Fury

When I saw this film on the Tribeca Film Festival Schedule. I put it on my list. Bitchin:The Sound and Fury of Rick James tells the story of a Funk Master Rick James from the highs and lows.

Stay Tuned for the review.

Music Artist Rick James
Categories
Cinema

Tribeca Film Fest-Shorts

It always a delight to discover talent making short films. This season there is no shortage of choices and themes.

Nando is a touching tribute to dreams and hard reality.

Last Meal, what would you want for for your final supper?

Liza Anonymous, a funny take on generational zeitgeist.

An honourable mention goes to Death & The Lady All shorts screened on the Tribeca Film Festival website.

Categories
Cinema

Last Film Show at Tribeca

Should I or Shouldn’t I? How many stars do I give a film I like? I decided on 4.5 stars. The Last Film Show is worth a watch for every film lover.

Stay Tuned for the full review. Screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Categories
Cinema

Lady Boss

I just screened Lady Boss-The Jackie Collins Story from the digital Tribeca film Festival.

A story of a woman driven to success by insecurities. Was Ms. Collins a feminist?

Stay Tuned for the full review.

Categories
Cinema

Tribeca Day 1 Impressions

My first day at the virtual Tribeca Film Festival. My first impression of the overall films: technically superb, polished, broadcast quality, indeed ready for a streaming service. These are filmmakers with an end goal concerning their work. 

While I have not seen broad risk taking, after viewing a few features, the message here is: I am here ready to work in the business.

Stay tuned for coverage.