Category: Final Video Essay

Cat Links 2023 Blog, Final Video Essay

[Video Essay]: Public City: Dormitory | University Hall

Posted on ghassan@connect.hku.hk

  “Far from hectic bustle and clamour of streets of Hong Kong, Castle is still a quiet refuge, if not for the learned, at least for those who are learning.” – University Hall   Enter the enchanting world of University Hall in Hong Kong, as we embark on a captivating cinematic exploration of this vibrant student dormitory. In this documentary, we delve into the theme and subject matter of the architectural heritage of University Hall, immersing ourselves in its rich history, unique design, and the stories of the people who have called it home. Setting/Places: University Hall Exterior: The film

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[Video Essay] Inclined City: Negotiation and Collaboration within Slopes

Posted on ckristen@connect.hku.hk

Inclined City: Negotiation and Collaboration within Slopes Directed by Ho Charlotte Kristen  Theme and Subject Matter The main theme of the video is slope. Slopes are one of the least encouraging urban surfaces to walk on, they make you gasp for air when going up, and put your balancing skills to the test when going down. However, slopes are pretty common in Hong Kong Island, helping to make way for hilly landscapes and connecting different elevations. To make slopes inhabitable, cooperation is needed between architecture and other urban elements within.  This video investigates this matter by focusing on the slope

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[Video Essay]: Disappearing City | Playground

Posted on u3608449@connect.hku.hk

Today, children spend 50% less time playing outdoors than children of the 1970s as kids nowadays choose to satisfy their need for stimulation and social contact with friends and peers by turning to video games instead of playing outdoors in the playground (Proud, 2019). Hence, children’s shifted preference over time from playing outdoors in the playground to spending most of their time indoors playing video games and surfing the internet has contributed to the lack of children in the open spaces and, therefore, the disappearance of playgrounds. The idea of the playground in the late 1800s was to provide a

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[Video Essay]: Public City – Pier

Posted on u3611091@connect.hku.hk

  Theme    The accessibility of green spaces in the city demonstrates Hong Kong’s ingenious urban planning. The island is also surrounded by the sea, which makes it perfect for panoramic viewing. Close to the Hong Kong University, along the seaside, is the Central and Western District Promenade. It spans 400 meters with a width of 6.5 meters, covering a total area of 5200 square meters. Its start is marked by a 7.5 meter tower, serving as an icon. The promenade has four piers and is situated next to the Western Wholesale Food Market. The path also is connected to

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[Video Essay] City Outskirts: the self preserving Ecosystem

Posted on u3598701@connect.hku.hk

City Outskirts: the self-preserving Ecosystem Theme and subject matter This video essay focuses on Pok Fu Lam village, one of the last villages in Hong Kong that are at risk of disappearing and is now part of the World Monument Watch list (World Monuments Fund , 2021). The village is unique for its long history of festivals and life that can only be found once you enter through the mazes of lanes and alleyways. Thus a slow life is created, making it distinct from the outside city life that is mainly characterized by its busy and chaotic speed. Through the

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[Field-Homework 3] Slow City: Tin Shui Wai’s Tram Story

Posted on clh648@connect.hku.hk

Slow City: Tin Shui Wai’s Tram Story Director: CHEN LIHENG Theme and Subject This video reveals a hidden corner in Hong Kong where the slow pace of lifestyle dominates, Tin Shui Wai. Tin Shui Wai features its unique public transportation, the tram. The tram plays a significant role in residents’ daily lives. It serves the community by connecting the private residential areas and the public facilities, including parks, malls, and the MTR station. The light railway finally forms a circle in Tin Shui Wai and merges with the community harmoniously. The interactions between the residents and the landscape showcase a

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[Video Essay] Crisis City

Posted on vanawei@hku.hk

Video link: https://youtu.be/z7j91E7NEdY Description of the theme: The maximum utilization of rooftops distinguishes Hong Kong from the other metropolises. The rooftop has been functioning as an alternative living place for the less-privileged working-class people since the post-war period.[1] The traditional residential feature is continuing and intensifying with the advance of modernization and urbanization, as the additional space provided by rooftops partly negotiates the tension between the scarcity of land resources and the consistent request for more space caused by the exceeding population and economic growth. In contemporary life, the rooftop is serving more functions in addition to a living place,

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[Video Essay] Mobile City

Posted on u3591979@connect.hku.hk

Title: Mobile City Site: Bridge Director: Zhou Yingqi YouTube link: https://youtu.be/pZOsfNtbpyo As one of the first cities from China which had directly confronted the lethal corona virus on a massive scale, Wuhan had faced many difficulties across multiple dimensions that were unforeseen and thus placed major challenges against this city and its vulnerable residents. However, due to its high abundance and availability of constructed bridges of good build quality, this city was enabled to withstand the crisis effectively as its bridges helped to deliver ample benefits economically, socially, and financially for city itself. For the purposes of this report, it

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[Video Essay] Disappearing City

Posted on u3592376@connect.hku.hk

Site: Playground Theme: Disappearing City Method of conducting research: I did a couple of field observations in different playgrounds during the busiest hours of the day, during sunset. By shooting the playground both horizontally and vertically, I recorded the number of people hanging in the sites. I further developed my conclusion that there were not as many children playing in the playgrounds as it used to be. The theme, setting and components The story, disappearing city, follows “me” and my friend when we were still the best friends during my childhood. After elementary school classes, we very often spent our

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