The definition of place and space in The Practice of Everyday Life is insightful. It really triggers me to think about whether the streets and paths I walk through every day are places or spaces. Or are they both places and spaces? I come up with my own interpretation of place and space. As Certeau says everything is in order in a place, I tend to think place is inanimate and conventional. On the other hand, space is living where operations take place. Human activities and natural processes shape a place into a space, leaving traces and creating different stories. Each trace may represent a different story or they are forming a big picture. Some stories may be more evident, while some may be waiting for people to unveil.
One place/ space that comes into my mind is Civic Square – East Wing Forecourt of the Central Government Office. It is a place because it is designed for vehicular access and things are “situated in its own proper”. However, in my opinion, the Umbrella Revolution in 2014 transforms it into a space as the protest gave new meanings to this forecourt and therefore it is called Civic Square. It embodies the desire for freedom and democracy. Though it is still a vehicular access area, it has been oriented by historical events.
The idea of place and space provides me with a new perspective in analysing the buildings, streets, rooms, etc within the frame. And sometimes maybe the space impacts the occupants. In The Painted Veil (2006), Kitty, the protagonist is forced to go to Mei Tan Fu (a remote village in China) with her husband. The tense political situation during 1920s in China as well as the cholera epidemic in the village left her more depressed than ever. Not only she is physically isolated in a house in a remote village, but she is also emotionally isolated as her husband despises her as she committed adultery. The space mirrors her internal state and influences her emotions.
When I watch movies in the future, I will be more drawn to the connections between humans and place/ space- how they interplay with one another? Now I am thinking do I also make traces to transform places? And they may shape me unconsciously as well.
by Mak Sum Yuet Faustine UID: 3035486772