Background:
HUANG: Love In A Puff is a Hong Kong movie in 2010. It happens with the background of the anti-smoking policy in Hong Kong. The two protagonists, Yu Chunjiao and Zhao Zhiming, meet in a narrow alley while smoking. After that, they start to contact each other frequently. This film doesn’t really focus on architectural buildings, but on some architectural places in Hong Kong. The goal is to show the urban style and tradition of Hong Kong.
Script
HUANG: Giu and Ming go to a narrow alley to smoke after seeing Ming’s ex-girlfriend, who is now staying with the French man. The director doesn’t take a wide shot of the overview of this place, but the camera only focuses on Giu, who is smoking. In social reality, I saw many cigarette butts and garbage on the ground. There is no trash can to throw cigarette butts in the narrow alley, but people still tend to go to the narrow alley to smoke rather than near the garbage cans. The garbage cans can allow people to smoke legally and avoid the penalty. And I feel the environment there is messy.
HUANG: The narrow alley in the film is suitable for people to smoke under the beginning of the anti-smoking background in Hong Kong at that period. We can also see several police officers who smoke there. The narrowness of the alley and the special role of police officers in society create a special atmosphere, people seem to avoid the illegal smoking penalty from police officers. However, in this scene, even police officers who have a special role in this background also smoke in this area, emphasizing that people do not really adopt the anti-smoking policy in Hong Kong. The narrow alley is where people can gossip more privately rather than the noisy street where pedestrians can all see, so it gradually becomes a social place. Based on the story of this film, many people go to the small narrow alley to smoke while working, and sometimes their goal is to avoid their boss. The film also shows the local real life and the local building to people worldwide rather than the impression that most tourists imagine many grand architectures in Hong Kong.
HUANG: This scene is similar to the previous one. It is also taken in the narrow alley where people gather there to smoke. I also visited this place a few days ago. This alley doesn’t have significant differences compared to the one in reality, but I saw graffiti on the wall. This film has 13 years of history, street art may be popular after that period.
ZHU: Next I am going to talk about Jimmy Bridge, which became well-known after the release of the film. It appears first as the background of the second conversation between two protagonists: Zhiming Zhang and Chunjiao Yu. In this conversation, Chunjiao mentioned that she saw Zhiming a week ago in a convenience store. The convenience store is where they later start dating and warm up their relationship, advancing the plot. They also talked about UFOs, Chunjiao asks why she cannot see UFOs in Hongkong. As a normal adults, people will be speechless about this question. However, Zhiming contemplates for a while and says there are too many tall buildings to block our sight. This shows that Zhiming is never grown up, he is a childish person. This matches his behavior later when Chunjiao asks him several times does he cares that Chunjiao is older than him, he never responds directly, he just says that he is taller, which means he is a childish person that is not ready to take responsibility.
ZHU: Jimmy bridge fully shows the tradition of Hong Kong. Not much has changed between the film scene and reality, it does not surprise me as the film is made just about a decade ago. I think that the director uses this place to create some private room for them to chat and exchange phone numbers.
ZHU: The two protagonists meet again in the 7-11 store. Zhang Zhiming at that time is completely drunk, and Chujiao is speechless about this drunk man. This place is the starting point between the two protagonists in the film.
ZHU: For the second time, 7-11 appears as the “Usual Place” for them to meet, they both feel bored and escape from a party to start a date. They buy a packet of cigarettes for each other.
ZHU: This is the third time that they appear in 7-11 together. They are going to buy cigarettes together because the price will rise after this night. They finally confirm their relationship later.
ZHU: The frequency of 7-11 is so impressive in this film, we may wonder why the director set so many scenes. A reasonable guess is that in the late evening, only 24h 7-11 is still open for cigarette sales. The 24-hour convenience store is like a late-night boyfriend. It’s not Michelin seafood, it’s three meals a day. It’s you being there when I need you.
ZHU: To sum up, we basically talked about four filming places in Hong Kong, including two alleys, which are very suitable for people to smoke, one bridge and a convenience store and how they play a role in developing the film and why the director choose this background. All these elements together build up the film about the excellent characterization and detailed depiction of the everyday life of an ordinary couple.
BOTH: That’s all, Thanks for your listening.
HUANG Hou Weng; UID 3036088905
Zhu Chenrui UID 3036098455
A Love in Puff, serving as a fantastic urban romantic film, provides a reference for understanding the policy-based smoking space — alley. I would like to see more reflections based on lectures, tutorials and readings, as well as your personal field trip. Besides, please further consider how space and architecture are deconstructed and reconstructed by associating this film with your field trip. I believe you would explore more based on your field trip instead of addicting to the film. Perhaps more analysis of filmic techniques, such as camera shots and lighting, could be added. Furthermore, I would suggest a slight adjustment in your tone of voice since a more dialogue-liked podcast would greatly enhance the appeal of your work.