[Reading Response: Katarzyna Ancuta] Due to the rapid development of society, a large number of people migrate from rural areas into urban areas resulting in rapid urbanization. Movies about ghosts were made at that time for this reason. Cities redevelopment was based on the interest of global capital rather than people, so a lot of apartments were built, they were seen as a commodity for profit rather than a home. In Hong Kong, high-density rows of apartments, densely packed with small windows and a plethora of rooms have become a unique feature. They are rented to low and middle income

Continue reading[Reading Response: Katarzyna Ancuta]

The article mainly talks about the identities of ghosts in films. Before, I thought ghosts were included in films just to scare audiences without any real meaning, but this article completely changed my mind. Ghosts can mean different things in different films and cultural realms. Firstly, they can be used to discuss the relationship between the living and the dead, which is most common in culturally Chinese territories, especially Hong Kong. Secondly, they can display the loneliness of humans as they share a lot of similar characteristics. Thirdly, they can represent the failure of an economy when a great number

Continue readingReading Response: Ancuta, K.

In Cheng’s passage “In Search of the Ghostly Context”, Cheng mentions the state of “homelessness” in different historical, social, and cinematic context to elaborate on characteristics of Hong Kong’s urban space and public housing. A notable feature in these contexts is the various depictions of Hong Kong’s housing estates. As the living space for most lower-middle-class Hong Kong inhabitants, public housing estates act as primary stage to convey ordinary working-class people’s livings and their socially marginalized life experience. Some productions entitle these housing estates with negative connotations such as entrapment and imprisonment from narrow walls and corridors. Though the housing

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] Esther M. K. Cheung

In this reading, the author discussed different aspect of why public housing estate become a ghostly place under Director Fruit Chan. For me, a student from mainland China, it is hard to imagine that how a global economical center will be have some places that appears to be ghostly at the beginning. However, as I investigate further into public housing condition through web searching and watching segments from Chan’s film. I realized that how large the difference is between through grandiose infrastructures such as high speed railway station or K11 Musa that represent Hong Kong and    estates for public

Continue readingReading Response: Esther M. K. Cheung