Month: March 2020

看見與被看見 To see and to be seen

文︰楊兩全,影像無國界藝術家導師 | Text: Yeung Leung-chuen, All About Us Teaching Artist

這一年All About Us 的五段創作短片中,有三條以紀錄片作為表達形式(其中《Bibi, the Ghost》是仿紀錄片),兩條則是劇情短片。半數作品為紀錄片,頗出我意料之外的。筆者是這屆All About Us 的創作導師之一,過往也曾在不同中學或社區中心當短片創作導師,學員是香港本地青年,他們幾近本能地會以劇情短片作為他們的創作方向,甚少選擇紀錄片此一表現形式。這傾向並不令人意外,畢竟我們日常接觸的影像養份,均以電影、電視劇或網絡短片為主。因此,我對這屆All About Us 出現佔半的紀錄片作品感到驚喜及好奇。

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《US》All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

或許與教學內容有關(這屆All About Us的創作營有專門教授「紀錄片」的環節,當中包括訪問對談技巧等),但創作者本身想要「被看見」這一點或許也是一個不應被忽視的要素。與一般紀錄片導演尋找想要紀錄的「他者」不同,他們的紀錄對象就是身邊的團隊成員。換言之,他們是有被訪的自覺,是自我紀錄,是一個自我揭露的過程。就如《US》,講述團隊裡六人的生活與夢想,當中有獨特南亞文化特色的板球夢,也有如一般香港本地青年無異的廚師夢、籃球夢、科學夢等等。創作者有意識地呈現自己的生活、自己的夢想,彷彿是一幅集體自畫像,想讓人「看見」自己。又如《Loving Your Life》,這短片更是觸及Windelyn的內心世界,呈現她因家庭所遭受的傷痛以及在同伴朋友間經歷的愛,內容相當私密與真實,是一次坦誠的剖白。

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《Bibi, the Ghost》All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

《Bibi, the Ghost》是一條仿紀錄片,訪問一隻鬼的生活的「紀錄片」,風格幽默風趣、創意令人眼前一亮。鬼,作為相對於人類的小眾,有著獨特的生活模式與文化,經常不被人類所理解,承受被邊緣化的孤獨。我不肯定這是不是創作者有意識的藝術處理,但這不期然令人解讀成少數族裔的自仿。以「鬼」作喻,訴說「鬼」的故事,也是訴說自己作為少數族裔的故事和心聲。

另外兩條是劇情短片《Not Even Close to Any K-Drama Ever》及《Not So Ever After》。相對《US》與《Loving Your Life》這類將自己以紀錄片方式直接呈現;創作者的影子在劇情短片中,通常都隱藏在故事背後,但我們還是可以從這些作品中窺見創作者的部分面貌。

在《Not So Ever After》中,貧窮的女主角、被同學欺負的校園生活、未能結果的青春愛情……這些元素都不時出現在過往All About Us的作品,也是香港本地學生作品的常見題材,畢竟這些事情很可能就是他們的日常生活,比較容易作為素材轉化成創作。至於《Not Even Close to Any K-Drama Ever》,從劇名的自嘲就可看出端倪——這條短片仿拍韓劇,以誇張的手法突出那些韓劇「經典」情節,藉此加以反諷,拍出一條饒有趣味的喜劇。由此可以想像,這短片的創作者與很多香港本地、以至世界各地的青年一樣,深受韓流文化影響,才會拍出這條戲仿之作。

創作本身就是一種「被看見」的過程。不論是帶有自覺的自我展示、抑或是透過比喻、故事轉化,我們都能從作品中看見創作者。我慶幸能透過這些作品,認識、了解他們的世界,更慶幸看見他們願意被看見,甚至想被看見。這也是「影像無國界」可貴的地方。

 

Among the five creative short films for this year’s All About Us project, three are documentaries (of which “Bibi, the Ghost” is a mockumentary), and two are short dramas. I am one of the teaching artists for this year’s project and the fact that over half of the works are documentaries is quite beyond my expectation.  I have teached creative short film production in various secondary schools and community centres where participants are local Hong Kong youths. Instead of documentary, they usually instinctively choose to present their creation in the form of short drama. Their preference is not surprising, after all, movies, TV dramas or online short videos are the main kinds of moving image we received in our everyday lives. Therefore, I felt surprised and curious when half of the works for this year’s All About Us are documentaries.

It may be a result of the set of teaching content (There was a special session on documentary in this year’s creative camp which includes interviewing skills); however, an important element which should not be overlooked is the wish of “to be seen” from the creators. Unlike general documentaries that the directors are trying to record the Others, the targets for recording in these short films are the creators’ team members around. They are, in other words, aware of being interviewed which made the filming a self-documenting and self-disclosing process. “US” describe the lives and dreams of the six team members: some dreams to be a cricket player which certainly is of unique Southeast cultural characteristics, others share common dreams as local Hong Kong youths such as to be a chef, a basketball player or a scientist.  The filmmakers consciously present their own lives and dreams as if they are making a collective self-portrait, letting themselves to be “visible”. Another short film “Loving Your Life” that touches on Windelyn’s inner world, depicting the pain she suffered because of her family and the affection she experienced among her friends. With these private yet genuine content, the film is an honest confession to the audience.

"Loving Your Life" All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

“Loving Your Life” All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

Humorous, and dazzlingly creative, “Bibi, the Ghost” is a mockumentary that mimics the life of a ghost. Ghosts, as a niche relative to humans, have unique lifestyles and culture.  Often they are misunderstood by humans and suffer the loneliness of being marginalised. I am not certain if it is a conscious artistic treatment by the creators, yet I can’t help interpreting the treatment as a self-imitation of ethnic minorities. With “ghost” as a metaphor, telling a “ghost” story is actually telling the creators’ own story and feeling as an ethnic minority.

Other than documentaries, the two short dramas are “Not Even Close to Any K-Drama Ever” and “Not So Ever After”. Comparing to “US” and “Loving Your Life” which directly portrayed themselves in the form of a documentary, creators of these short dramas usually hide their themselves behind the story, yet we can still glimpse some aspects of the creators.

"Not Even Close to Any K-Drama Ever" All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

“Not Even Close to Any K-Drama Ever” All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

“Not So Ever After” depicted a girl who faced difficulties in all aspects of life: poverty, school life full of bullies by classmates, a puppy love that bears no fruit … all these elements have frequently been found in past works All About Us, which are also common motifs in videos made by local Hong Kong students.  After all, these issues are likely to happen in their daily lives, so it is easier to be put into their creation. The self-mockery in the title “Not Even Close to Any K-Drama Ever” hints that the film is copying a Korean drama. By featuring “classic” plots in Korean dramas with exaggeration, it makes a sarcastic comedy full of fun. By viewing the video, we can simply imagine how Korean culture deeply influenced not only the creation team of this short film, but also many young people in Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

"Not So Ever After" All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

“Not So Ever After” All About Us 2019/20 Student Creative Film

Creation in itself is a process of “being seen”. Be it a self-conscious display of oneself, a metaphor or a story, we can see the creator in the work. I am delighted to know and understand their world through these works and are more delighted to realise that they are willing to be seen, and even longing to be seen, which is also the value of the project “All About Us”.

香港電影與傳播媒體的「多元與包容」 “Inclusion Rider”… How’s it in Hong Kong Film and Media Industry?

文︰劉嘉汶,影像無國界教學助理實習生 (嶺南大學視覺研究系學生) |
Text: Carmen Lau Ka-man, Teaching Assistant Intern of All About Us (Student of Visual Studies Department, Lingnan University)

“I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen, Inclusion Rider.” Frances McDormand closed her Oscar speech with these two simple words.

Frances McDormand at Oscar 2018 called out the industry for "inclusive riders". Photo Source: The New York Times

Frances McDormand at Oscar 2018 called out the industry for “inclusion riders”. Photo Source: The New York Times

The certain level of diversity in terms of cast and crew on film is unsatisfied and failed to meet the demand yet, which leads back to one of the rooting factors of this issue, which is lack of integration between ethnic minority and dominated majority.

Speaking of the ethnic minority, what is the first group of a race that comes up on your mind? Is it the Southeast Asian people? The ethnic minority doesn’t confine to a single group of races, like Caucasoid, Negroid, and Chinese, all of us could be an ethnic minority, as long as we are differ in race, national or cultural origin from the dominant population.

Carmen Lau Ka Man. Teaching Assistant Intern of All About Us 2019/20

Carmen Lau Ka Man. Teaching Assistant Intern of All About Us 2019/20

 

In the past, an ethnic minority in Hong Kong faced a different type of discrimination or even abuse. How ridiculous is it? A place claimed as advanced and civilized, can barely embrace the races different from us. It is worth-considering if they change their name, would the situation be different? Seemingly, the answer is certain and not reasonable to deprive their identity. The issue is beyond what has mentioned above, are the exclusivity and perceived stereotype that leads to an insufficient understanding of them.

The complexity of “marginalized audience identity” posed the ethnic minority in a marginal position to confront the mainstream’s mass media.

When we walk through the history of Hong Kong film, Hongkonger, able-bodied role keeps the norm on screen; Southeast Asian people have a relatively low representation and do not commonly show on the screen. Even, if they do, their roles are usually related to clumsy, demonized and absurd characters. The mass media and local news often render the negative image of south Asian people in Hong Kong, the industry adapted and consumed the mainstream idea to shape their character, which in a sense, consolidated the preconceived image of them.

Only very few have achieved the tension of the successful ethnic minorities’ image. For example, Gill Mohindepaul Singh (喬寶寶), Peter Gana (陳彼德) and Ricky Chan (陳振華) are some of the few successful actors entering the film industry. Interestingly, the film offers a one-way channel to them to expose the everyday life of the dominated population, but, it did not have a thorough chance to count them in. Perhaps, it implies that we did not walk in their shoes to make the stories and bear in mind the stereotypes. Additionally, Mohammad Kashif (巫加沙), one of the actors of Testimony (山下的證詞), he indicates in an interview that although he is fluent in speaking and listening to Cantonese, the level of reading and writing is not that good, so he spent more time to read the script. This suggested that language hindered them to communicate with the local Hongkongers,  as they have not been taught by the mainstream Cantonese.

These signs reveal the deficiency of understanding and demand to strengthen the rising voice and insight from them.

Facing this situation, it is vital to have their voice to show their stories and thoughts. In a way, to let the viewers understand and listen to them. In the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition, several compelling stories from the different regions come together and give a diversity of bold and reflective messages about our ever-changing society and oneself. For instants, “I’m Not Your F***king Stereotype”, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7eg9R3olqQ) it is about a Muslim girl, Maryam who moved to Thailand has become the prey to racism in her school and had to deal with the stereotype gaze from majority’s religion of other students in school, which made her experience the identity crisis and detest her birthdate, name and even region. This is a critical film presenting their real though and struggle in life, which filled up the cultural gap between Buddhists and Muslims

The program paves a good method to let them express and communicate in a new approach. While the short film reminds me of a multimedia project containing the style of the documentary by Jianne Soriano, a student who is a Hong Kong-born Filipino, it calls “Own Voices: Breaking Stereotypes” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRIBMcqMlI). The video tells the first-hand stories from four different ethnic minority members of our society.

According to Soriano, “Growing up in Hong Kong I didn’t see a lot of people who looked like me on TV or in the wider media.”

She hopes to build a bridge of connection and understanding between the Chinese counterparts and the ethnic minority. Meanwhile, examining the stereotype helps to break the negative image. Instead of, passively showcasing the preconceived perspective, Soriano took the initiative to start a conversation and an interaction to depart from the traditional stereotypes. Besides that, some of them took a further step to create a YouTube, The HBA by a group of three ethnic minority members and film their videos. One of the creators mentioned that the youngster is not into television, so they can only go for the online platform to speak for themselves. The Intertextuality of the video allows the viewers to leave comments on their channel and have an idea that how they see Hongkonger.

Taking the initiative by them undoubtedly eases the preconceived conception and has a more comprehensive understanding of them. Is it enough? Recently, the movie “Still Human” (淪落人)  resounds for the Filipino in Hong Kong, the story tells about the relationship between a paralyzed man and a maid. Unlike what the mainstream has labeled the Filipinos, low education and no culture. The film shows the sincerity of human being, simple yet delicate. They gradually build a deep mutual trust, while they exude a touch of sorrow in the face of the destiny of life. This creation has spared no effort to invoke the local spirit and identity of Hongkonger, it reshapes the image of a domestic helper through the exquisite and genuine act.

The ethnic minority is one of the important parts of Hong Kong’s population. They are diverse in culture, and the general public has put their attention to those groups in recent years. Despite the difficulties and discrimination that they have suffered, many ethnic minorities are striving to survive in their way and merging themselves into society. Hence, the general public does not have a meaningful understanding of them and they have a bare chance to channel personal contact and interaction with them. While the continuing shaping of negative ethnic minority images through the mass media in the past, which has deepened the cultural stereotypes. Therefore, the development of new media has opened up opportunities to let us understand and know more. The mainstream has gradually shifted their attitude towards the ethnic minority like the recent film about them. Meanwhile, it is a two-way communication despite the language barrier.

Our (Film & Media Industry) hard work is significant to achieve social integration.

Carmen Lau. Shooting with Ethnic Minorities Youth during All About Us Creative Camp 2019/20.

Carmen Lau. Shooting with Ethnic Minorities Youth during All About Us Creative Camp 2019/20.

Film and media have a close connection to the development of ethnic minorities, in the past, they established a vivid and unauthentic appearance about them, and to have a better understanding, it is good to showcase their bits and pieces like the differential culture and lifestyle. Perhaps, in the future, cultivating social diversity is necessary to create two-way communication from different sides and have a well-rounded policy about media and film, like what Frances McDormand has advocated.

(只提供英文版本)

共同創作,讓我明白「歧視」這一回事… Understanding the root of discrimination through the video production with ethnic minorities in Hong Kong

文︰劉嘉然,影像無國界實習教學助理 | Text: Lau Ka-yin, Teaching Assistant Intern of All About Us

“To be honest, before this program, I was like the typical Hongkongers, I don’t like them……”

Lau, Ka Yin. Teaching Assistant Intern of All About Us 2019/20.

Lau, Ka Yin. Teaching Assistant Intern of All About Us 2019/20.

As we all know, ethnic minorities in Hong Kong are discriminated against by the locals. Because of their race, they suffer a lot in our society. To be honest, before this program, I was like the typical Hongkongers, I don’t like them. But after knowing more about them, I found that they are not as bad as we thought.

The standard images of ethnic minorities to the locals in Hong Kong are selfish, greedy, cunning, etc. People with these stereotypes will refuse to get in touch with them, which let people harder to understand their situation and who they are. Therefore, I think that the root of discrimination in Hong Kong is that people do not know much about them.

In this program, I was required to produce a video with a group of ethnic minority children within several weeks, in between the production, I had a camp with those children for 3 days. After our production, different groups will have their movie handed in, and we had a screening day of those movies.

“Each section of the program allows me to know more about them.”

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Yin, during All About Us Creative Camp 19/20, shooting with the participants

In the first event, which is the camp, I lived with them and produced a short video clip with them. I found that they are passionate and creative, and unlike the stereotypes in our minds. They are willing to pick up the responsibilities and willing to work as a team. They are fun, naive and cute. They always come up with many creative ideas.

The most memorable part in these few days is an activity called “Act like Charlie Chaplin”, each group of people has to make a video in the style of Charlie Chaplin, and the plots were decided by the children. At the very beginning of the activity, the children actively gave out their ideas and divided their job on their own, and they are just like us, eager to learn, to participate in activities.

Maybe sometimes they might act a bit odd to some people, like too aggressive to conduct their opinions to others, but the reason why they are behaving like that is that they want attention from people. As they had always been omitted by others in their life, and thus, they are eager to show themselves to others. If people do not know much about their inner mind or background, perhaps they might act like too offense and thus refusing to communicate to them but also label them as the “rude”. And it’s a cycle that once people got a stereotype on them, they will then not get in touch with them, and knowing nothing about them, and then the stereotype continuous.

During the production period, I can observe them in detail as teaching assistants. Director, me and the other teaching assistant suggest they do whatever they want, to express their real side through the project. In this way, we can more or less know more about their mind through their theme, most of the themes are about themselves, and a story about their life, their life goals, and also some of the struggles that they faced during chasing their dream, they wanted to be understood.

“And it’s a cycle that once people got a stereotype on them, they will then not get in touch with them, and knowing nothing about them, and then the stereotype continuous…”

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Yin, teaching participants about camera movement during All About Us Creative Camp 19/20

Video making as one form of art, and in this program, it served one function of act, which is to express. Through expression, we can more easily understand their inner mind, meanwhile, cause some of the feelings that we don’t know how to express in words. From the theme of the video, the camera movement, to the script, those can all reflect the feeling of the producer. Therefore, though the production, we can know more about them.

The dreams to them seem even harder to achieve than ours because the opportunities for them to achieve their dream is lessened by many factors, like languages and social status. For my team, the movie is about the life of one of the groupmate who was raised in a broken family and living in a subdivided unit. Poverty and the family situation keep her out of getting advanced education or leisures, which let her even harder to achieve her dream. As a typical local living in Hong Kong, I once thought that ethnic minorities contribute nothing to our society. If I did not attend this program, I would not have seen their works and get along with them, I think I will not know much about their situation, and limitations. But now, I will more or less understand their behavior and willing to get along with them.

“Indeed, I am not an expert on the cultural policy, but what my experience taught me is no need to label them. Let them be part of our society, not in their ethnic minorities circle…”

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Yin with his group of participants in All About Us Creative Camp

To conclude, the root of the discrimination in Hong Kong is people don’t understand them. To eliminate the root, I think education is not enough. Because if we are taught not to discriminate against the ethnic minorities, the action itself is already labeling them as differentiated from us. People will then take more care to them, then the action itself is already discrimination to them.

Indeed, I am not an expert on the cultural policy, but what my experience taught me is no need to label them. Let them be part of our society, not in their ethnic minorities circle. Labeling them as differentiation is the first step of discrimination. The more we know about them, the less discrimination will occur in the future.

(只提供英文版本)