HONG KONG Publications / index / New Asian Currents

Hong Kong Road Movie

Director, Script, Photography, Editing, Music,
Sound, Producer :
Makin Fung Bing-fai
Music : Endeavour
Production Company, Source : VMC
Flat F21/F Block 6 Fullview Garden, Chai Wan
HONG KONG
Phone: 852-2505-2030/ Fax:852-2559-9581
e-mail: endvr852@speednet.net
HONG KONG / 1996 / Chinese, English
Color / Video / 29 min

(6k)
Makin Fung Bing-fai

Ever since graduated from film school, Makin Fung has been one of the most active Independent Film/Video/Music makers (as well as a predominant dreamer) in Hong Kong. Highly inspired by his former teacher, Dr.N.T.Nin who is a famous scholar in Chinese Aesthetics and also an authority in Modern Chinese Cinema, Makin Fung's early poetic style in filmmaking is indeed a sublime fusion of Chinese Philosophy, Existentialism and Phenomenology.

Both the non-linear narrative in adapting poems and fictions from May 4th writers, the alienated presence of human characters and the subtle treatment of light characterize his early works and influences from directors like J.M.Straub, Robert Bresson and Andrei Tarkovsky are obvious.

His initial occupation as a reporter and school teacher, his participation in the pop-music industry through the music group ENDEAVOUR as well as his practical experience in producing Corporate Video, TV Commercials, Karaoke and Pornography has all help Makin to transform (or transcend) into a more secular style in film/video. Makin's participation in cultural criticism through the newspaper column and radio channel open his vision to the cultural crisis in HK society.

In recent years, Makin's focus turns to the NET. His recent works in video and music compositions are all directed towards re-establishing the concept of self within a Cyber and Hyper-linked Media.

Yet, his desire to touch audience heart, his sense of melancholy and solitude emerges out of his works also help to re-vitalize the passion all of our heart.

(13k)


This 1996 work juxtaposes the opaque future of Hong Kong after its handover to China with the mixed feelings of a person traveling in its streets. The work is a "cyber letter to the forthcoming generation," a generation that can conceive of freedom of communication and expression through the innovative world of cyberspace.

Director's Statement

if You enjoy this work... you must have a cyber touch.
if You Don't enjoy... you must be an addict to classical modern cinema.
i think:
film and video is neither to represent facts nor judgment.
we have plenty of that in politics in OUR MEDIA already.
for the forthcoming generation...
emotion evolved out of a collage of multimedia discourses.
if You are not with us..on that point of view...
i can only tell u.. "YOU are getting OLD!!"
(indeed i say that to myself everyday)



 




Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival Organizing Committee