Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous
| Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Christopher Doyle |
| Produced by |
Jenny Suen Ken Hui |
| Written by | Christopher Doyle |
| Starring |
Connie Yuen Thierry Chow Selene Cheung Ching Man Lip Miso Kevin Sherlock Vodka Wong Kevin Lau Chen Feng Zhen |
| Cinematography | Christopher Doyle |
| Edited by |
AQ Lee Jinpo Yip Jenny Suen |
Release dates | 20 September 2015 (TIFF world premiere) |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language |
Cantonese English Mandarin |
Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous (known also by its Chinese title 香港三部曲：開門見山、愚公移山、後悔莫及) is a film directed by Christopher Doyle. The film is a story of Hong Kong told by three generations: “PRESCHOOLED” children, “PREOCCUPIED” young people, and “PREPOSTEROUS” senior citizens.
The production crew of the film spent a year recording interviews with over a hundred people of all ages and backgrounds. These recordings are edited to make a blueprint for the film. From this, they created a quasi-fictional narrative that the real (non-actor) person acts out while hearing (in voice-over) how they see and experience the world.
The world premiere screening of this film was in the "Contemporary World Cinema" section at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in theatres in Hong Kong on September 28, 2015, the one-year anniversary of the Umbrella Movement. The film was also theatrically released in Germany, Taiwan, Greece.
Sypnosis
In “Preschooled,” "Little Red Cap" tries to resolve the question “Why are there so many gods in this world? Is it because so many people need to be saved?” by evangelizing all the major faiths to her schoolmates. “Vodka Wong” releases plastic turtles to redeem the bad karma that resulted from his parents’ neglect of him.
In “Preoccupied,” young people occupy the streets of Central, Hong Kong. They stop the city to think about what they want for their future. Twenty-eight-year-old “Thierry the Feng Shui Master” and her crew of underground rappers and artists give voice to their discontent.
“Lady Swim” and “Mister Li” look “Preposterous” as they go on a speed-dating tour of the city trying to reconcile their new energies and the obligations convention has imposed on them.
The characters of each generation wonder how to live, here and now. At the end of their journey, they find no answers. Yet what they do find is that they are not alone in asking the universal questions that we all share: who we are, how we fit in, and what our city wants to become together.
Director’s Statement
The way this film evolved demanded a lot more give-and-take, much more “deliberation,” more “intuitive fine-tuning” than a more narrative-driven work. We wanted to give back to Hong Kong at least a fraction of what it has given us. So we started to talk to “real Hong Kong people” to find out what it’s like to be them. The children shared their wondrous interpretation of the world… The young people expressed hope and resilience in the face of the lies they feel they have been fed. While the senior citizens who have “seen it all” still laugh and live with the same wonder as the children we began with. The voices of these three generations are the film’s dynamic. Their wisdom is unintended, their voices are rarely heard, and their ironies go disregarded. They are the subject and the real authors of this film. As the press and the “kids” encouraged us as we shot on location, at least one had written in a caption of a photo they uploaded to Facebook (of us shooting at the Umbrella Movement campsite): “Please help us film our hopes and dreams.” What else can a film be all about? -- by Christopher Doyle
Select FIlm Festivals
- Toronto International Film Festival (World Premiere) Contemporary World Cinema Section (September 20th, 2015)
- Busan International Film Festival (Asia Premiere) Wide Angle Documentary Showcase (October 4th, 2015)
- Brisbane Asia Pacific FIlm Festival (November 21st, 2015)
- Torino Film Festival (November 22nd, 2015)
- San Francisco International Film Festival (April 22nd, 2015)
- DocAviv Film Festival (May 21st, 2015)
Press
- “[This is a film] of the people, by the people, for the people.” –Penang Monthly[1]
- “[Doyle:] I think that’s what we’re trying to celebrate, the energy of this city. My films are the way they are because I started in Hong Kong. They look the way they do because Hong Kong looks like this.” - “Capturing the Heart of Hong Kong: Interview with Christopher Doyle & Jenny Suen” –The Atlantic[2]
- “One frequent visitor to the main protest site during Hong Kong’s recent pro-democracy demonstrations was well-known cinematographer Christopher Doyle. “Even the police wanted to take selfies with me,” said Mr. Doyle, whose visits to the Admiralty site were shared on Facebook by protesters. The Australian-born filmmaker is claimed by local movie buffs as Hong Kong’s own. “They feel that I can contribute something,” he said in an interview. “It’s quite moving.”” - “Christopher Doyle Plans Film Featuring Hong Kong Protests,” The Wall Street Journal [3]
- “Using Light and Shadow to Speak Out for an Era” (Cover Story Screencap) –City Magazine(Chinese – 號外)
-“In turbulent times, it becomes clear what is black and what is white. Political accusations are often thrown about to silence opposition voices. ‘Our film is not about politics,” says Doyle. ‘Our film is about humanity.’” “Giving A Film Back to Hong Kong,” Ming Pao (Chinese – 明報)
-CNN:[4] “Filmmaker Captures Mood in Hong Kong”
-Bloomberg:[5] “Kickstarter Funds Hong Kong Trilogy Film”