I agree with Abbas. The image of our city is crafted by money instead of the city itself, and it presents an absents of characters because they are designed for a “brand” or an icon instead of showing the real side of the city. It makes the city invisible to the people. At the same time, I think that it is also hard to argue whether it represents Hong Kong, all those Generic City images may be intentional, globalization and internet leading us from difference to similarity. For me, the image of Hong Kong crafted by the government shows the

Continue reading[Reading Response] Ackbar Abbas

Cities are trying to boost their tourist trade by using branding strategies that make them more unforgettable and attractive, but they are one of the reasons for cities becoming “Generic Cities”. Cities would spend millions of dollars to build up their brand, which cost them their uniqueness, like their culture, their history, or their identity. This can be reflected through the generic cities’ representations in cinematic images. For example, in Hollywood films, most cities in Asia are now seen and represented as rich cities. I have discovered that in different films or television shows when people mention Hong Kong or

Continue reading[Reading Response] Ackbar Abbas