In Hong Kong movies, housing complexes frequently appear as haunted locations. The ownership of a grave has become another luxury that few in Hong Kong can afford due to the lack of available space. Apartments are often further divided into several tiny cubicles, aptly named ‘coffin homes,’ where the poorest of the poor live their ghostly lives. The deceased will likely remain segregated if there is no suitable grave to rest in. The fact that the apartments in Hong Kong are called “coffin homes” is not an accident. Most apartments are leased instead of purchased, so human presence in them tends to be transient. In apartments, we are all ghosts.
Following the boom in martial arts and kung fu movies, the creation of “ghost films” emerged in the Chinese-language film industry, dominated by Hong Kong, in 1980. This kind of merchandise was available then, and “Ghost Fighting Ghosts” inspired a wave of sequel filming. The “Temporarily Stop Breathing” series introduced Maoshan Taoist priests, talismans, and zombies in 1985, elevating the supernatural, black comedy, and martial arts cinema genres to their pinnacle.
Name: Yim On Ming UID: 3036031158
I appreciate how you have linked the concepts in the reading on ‘ghosts’ towards the discussion of ‘having coffin homes in HK is not an accident’. Very smart that you are able to intertwine the reading materials within your reflection process. Yet, the linkage between the housing conditions mentioned in the first half and the martial arts films is not strong. You may further explore the notions of ‘ghostly context in HK housing’ instead.