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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 7: Monsters, Materials & Skyscrapers

[Reading response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo

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In the paper “Oh No, There Goes Tokyo”, the author uses Tokyo’s frequent appearance in “apocalypse pop culture” as an inspiration to explore why these pop cultures appear so often, how they reflected different state of the Japan’s society in the past few decades, and their impact to the Japan’ society. The part I like the most is the changing styles and topics of apocalyptic films with relation to the social events that is happening in Japan, because I never realised when I was watching these films that they have so much connection. From post atomic bomb film like Karumen

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 6: Housing Stories

Reading Response 2: In Search of the Ghostly in Context : Esther M. K. Cheung

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‘In Search of the Ghostly in Context’ discusses how Fruit Chan’s film explores estrangement through uncanny city spaces: low-cost public housing estates and old neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. He considered these places as the representation of the darker side of Hong Kong, such as social and economic inequality. These spaces are represented through lighting, warped space and shadow in the films, providing questions about the presence, absence, visibility, invisibility, appearance and reality of Hong Kong. In addition, Chan addresses the sense of rootlessness and displacement in the modern city, giving those who have been forgotten by the city an opportunity

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[Reading Response 2]: The Imaginary Real World of Cybercities

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I have usually heard about the term “cybercity”, and the readings help me to understand more about the cybercities, which is a world that could be said as a mix of the real world and the virtual world. In this kind of world concept, the boundary between reality and virtual reality is very blurry. After reading it, to imagine ‘cybercities’ which is more abstract, I imagine myself walking in a city when I am surfing on the Internet, when I want to get what I searching for, the way I getting access to the things in just like the roads

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Cat Links 2024 Blog

Reading response 2 “In Search of the Ghostly in Context” Ma Yin Lam Minnie

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Reading response 2 In Search of the Ghostly in Context         Ma Yin Lam Minnie “In Search of the Ghostly in Context” is a book chapter in the monography “Fruit Chan’s Made in Hong Kong” written by a late local scholar Esther Cheung, who conducted a sophisticated analysis of the surreal characteristics of this low-budget movie in terms of their formations and purposes. Apart from public housing development, she also demonstrated the influences of socioeconomic context in cinema production. I was highly impressed by the argument of Cheung “Made in Hong Kong in fact contains a number of shots depicting the

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Cat Links Lecture 7: Monsters, Materials & Skyscrapers

[Reading Response2] Noir Urbanisms delves into the paradox of urban de

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Noir Urbanisms delves into the paradox of urban development and demonstrates how cities, often seen as innovation centers, can also become stages of differentiation and dystopia. This article critically examines the socio-economic inequality exhibited in urban space, using examples from cities around the world to illustrate the conflicting outcomes of urban progress. A central theme is the critique of the concept of “smart cities”. It challenges the assumption that technological progress fundamentally improves urban life. On the contrary, it indicates that these technologies can enhance monitoring and control, potentially infringing on individual freedom and privacy. This key viewpoint is crucial

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Cat Links Lecture 8: Sci-Fi Technoscapes

[Reading Response 2] Imagining Urban Futures By Carl Abbott

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3036228385 Cheung Chun Yu In most of the movies, cities are always described as a moveable space. The cities in these films look like robots or a massive public transport system, for example trains, ships, fleets. Cities are moving to search for the best living place and the most resources for people to live. Besides, some cities are built outside the Earth. In some movies, the Earth is already not a great planet for people to live on. It lacks resources and suitable places for people to live.   Another characteristic of the future city is that it is well

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Cat Links Lecture 7: Monsters, Materials & Skyscrapers

[Reading Response]-Abbas, M. A. (1997). Hong Kong: Culture and the politics of disappearance (pp. 63-90)

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The concept of disappearance is a recurring theme in Ackbar Abbas’s “Building on Disappearance,”which exploring how Hong Kong’s rapid urbanisation and modernization have resulted in the loss of physical structures, neighbourhoods, and cultural landmarks, leading to a sense of disorientation and collective memory loss among its residents. The author argues that the vanishing of architectural entities has shaped the city’s identity and social fabric and reflects on the complex relationship between architecture, memory, and identity. As I read “Building on Disappearance,” I was struck by the notion that disappearing structures can contribute to a sense of disorientation and loss of

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 6: Housing Stories

[Reading Response] Ancuta, K

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In Ancuta’s article, ghosts in Asian societies are portrayed to coexist with the dead, living in apartments surrounded by cramped urban densities. I was interested in the concept of the “living ghost”, where individuals living in modern Metropolis are alienated, and how failed dreams of economic success through migration turn individuals into “ghosts”. I’m also fascinated by the interplay between the “living ghost” and “dead ghost”.  ‘The Promise’ focuses on a Bangkok story of two siblings from a bankrupt developer family, both swearing to commit suicide. One sibling commits suicide, dies and becomes a physical ghost. Meanwhile, her sister broke

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Cat Links 2024 Blog, Lecture 4: Everyday Spaces as Narrative

[Reading Response] De Certeau, M. (1984). Walking in the City, and Spatial Stories.

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From the perspective of De Certeau, I believe that the practice of urban space in Hong Kong, especially against a backdrop of towering buildings, is a rewriting of the city’s text by every individual’s actions and choices. The high-density residential and commercial areas compel residents to find personalized ways to utilize limited spaces, such as rooftop gardens and corner shops, which are personal statements against standardized spaces. These seemingly trivial daily practices form the unique social texture and cultural landscape of Hong Kong. Therefore, as a young person growing up in this city, I place great importance on those spatial

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[Reading Response 2] The imaginary real world of CyberCities

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The reading discusses the modern machine city and cybercities. Personally, I like the modern machine city more than cybercities. Although our real world now is not a modern machine city, which is merely our imagination (Boyer, 1992), I believe that it will change to a modern machine city in the future. It is a dynamic city where all places, as the reading stated, the school, the prison, the factory and home, are controlled by machines with precise mathematics products and the creativity of engineers (Boyer, 1992). In cinematic expression, modern machine city is effective and efficient. The standardized operation of

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