[FIELDWORK] CHUNGKING EXPRESS, CHUNGKING MANSIONS

CHUNGKING EXPRESS, DIR. WONG KAR-WAI (1994)   Chungking Mansions, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong   Chungking Express, released in 1994, is one of Wong Kar-wai’s most renowned films.  The first half of the film follows Taiwanese cop Qiwu’s journey as he deals with a recent breakup.  His story started in Chungking mansions as he swerved into the crowd on his police chase, passing by a lady in a blonde wig and sunglasses who was recruiting ethnic men into her drug smuggling team.  She was threatened by her drug dealer ex-boyfriend after getting scammed by her team and tries to track

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[FIELDWORK](AMI) CHUNGKING EXPRESS,CENTRAL TO MID-LEVEL ESCALATOR

[FIELDWORK] CHUNGKING EXPRESS Directed by Wong Kar Wai in 1994 CENTRAL TO MID-LEVEL ESCALATOR, HONG KONG Fig.1: Faye is taking the Central to the Mid-Level Escalator to cop 663’s home, Scene from Chungking Express, 1994, directed by Wong Kar Wai “Chungking express” describes two individual storylines of lovelorn policies and the director Wong Kar Wai used his distinct movie technique to show the loneliness of urbanites in a bustling city. In the first story,  Cop 223  struggled to move on after he was dumped by his girlfriend. He would buy a pineapple can that expires on May 1 every day

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[FIELDWORK] BEYOND THE DREAM, TUEN MUN

BEYOND THE DREAM, DIR. KIWI CHOW (2019)            Tuen Mun, Tuen Mun District Hong Kong Wu King Estate that Lee Chi Lok lives in and shown multiple times in the film that display features of living environment in Hong Kong. Scenes from Beyond the Dream, directed by Kiwi Chow Beyond the Dream was released in November 2019 at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival and released to the public in July 2020. The film tells the romance story between Lee Chi Lok, who recovered from schizophrenia and is afraid to love due to his psychiatric disorder, and

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[FIELDWORK]Chungking Express, Mid-levels Central Escalator

Chungking Express released in 1994 is a romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Wong Ka Wai. The film is composed of two intersecting stories, telling how two frustrated men and women can free themselves from their past love and start a new life. Under the typical Wong Ka Wai style lens, the Mid-levels Central Escalator plays a critical role in telling the story of Faye and the No. 663 police officer. 663, his stewardess girlfriend, and Faye also took this escalator up and down in the film. In Chungking Express, Faye peeped through the glass of 663, who was riding on the

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[FIELDWORK] THE WAY WE KEEP DANCING, KWUN TONG INDUSTRIAL AREA

THE WAY WE KEEP DANCING DIR. ADAM WONG SAU PING 2021 “Long4 Sing4” — Kwun Tong industrial area, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong The Way We Keep Dancing is a 2021 Hong Kong music-dance-drama film written and directed by Adam Wong Sau Ping, starring Cherry Ngan, Babyjohn Choi, and Lok Man Yeung. Its Chinese name “狂舞派3” suggests that the film is the second sequel to 2013’s “The Way We Dance”(狂舞派1), having “狂舞派2” as an embedded narrative. The film sets the background in Kwun Tong Industrial Buildings, where a group of Kowloon Industrial District Artist (KIDA), including rappers, graffiti artists, Youtubers, dancers,

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[FIELDWORK] LITTLE CHEUNG, HONG KONG CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE & HONG KONG ISLAND]

Fig. 1: Protagonists are looking at the modern Hong Kong Island landscape from a distance. Scenes from Little Cheung, 1999, directed by Fruit Chan. Little Cheung was released in 1999, telling a story of a streetwise 9-year-old boy. The story happened in 1997, the year when Hong Kong was returned to China. Political metaphor is one of the most important aspects in the movie. The geographical location, architecture and character all represent different meanings. For example, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), which was completed in 1997, signifies the end of British colonial rule, and the reunification with China.

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[FIELDWORK] Aces Go Places (1982), Nam Kok Road

Aces Go Places, DIR. Eric Tsang(1982) Nam Kok Road, Kowloon City District, HK This is where the robbers went after the robbery. Albert Au assisted “賀東施” to arrest the robbers and this is where they met for the first time. Aces Go Places is a 1982 Hong Kong action movie directed by Eric Tsang. King Kong (acted by Samuel “Sam” Hui Koon-kit) is a skillful burglar. He stole a diamond and gave it to his friend to hide it in a place nobody knows. However, his friend died and left a hint to King Kong where the diamond is. In

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[FIELDWORK] ECHOES OF THE RAINBOW, WING LEE STREET

ECHOES OF THE RAINBOW, DIR. ALEX LAW (2010)            Wing Lee Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Echoes of The Rainbow, shot by Alex Law, was released in March 2010 in Hong Kong. The film is about the life of a small family, in which there are great difficulties and little happiness. Wing Lee Street is the main shooting site. Two slog cabins that did not exist in reality have been added to the film. One belongs to a shoemaker, who works and lives in that house with his wife and two sons. It stands at the

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[FIELDWORK] Election, Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station

ELECTION,  DIR. Johnnie To (2005) Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station ,Yau Tsim Mong District,Hong Kong   Election(Literal translation of Chinese movie titles is underworld) is a Hong Kong underworld film released in 2005 directed by Johnnie To. The film tells the story of Hong Kong’s largest society “Wo Sing Society” holding the biennial boss election. 1 Lok and Big D is the leader of the two major regions. Lok was elected as the boss. The angry Big D challenged the rules and wanted to compete with Lok for the Baton, a symbol of power. The Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station

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[FIELDWORK] C’EST LA VIE, MON CHÉRI, YAU MAA TEI

C’EST LA VIE, MON CHÉRI, DIR. Derek Yee Tung Sing (1993) YAU MAA TEI, Yau Tsim Mong District, HK This is the first time Min and Kit stand face to face, in front of their tenement in Yau Maa Tei and with the background of the space of everyday life on the Temple Street. Scenes from C’est la vie, mon chéri (1993), directed by Derek Yee. C’est la vie, mon chéri is a 1994 Hong Kong romance movie directed by Derek Yee.1 In the movie, Kit (acted by Lau Ching-wan) is an unrecognised jazz talent who finds his life struggling

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