“City Within City” Short Film Contest The objectives are to encourage students to showcase their creativity, to express them-‐ selves and inspire others by producing short ;ilms on what they think and feel about the minorities in the society they live in. The de-‐ tails are as follows: Entry requirements: • Full-‐time university students • Enter the contest as a team or an individ-‐ ual • No restriction on the number of partici-‐ pants in each team Entry procedures: • Enrollment online on Facebook event page ‘City Within City’ Short Film Contest Film SpeciBications: • Film must not exceed 15 minutes in length including opening and closing credits • It can be any Bilm genre, such as drama, documentary or animation • The Bilm must be accompanied by a text description of about 50 words on the con-‐ tent and ideas of the Bilm together • The Bilm and the text description must be uploaded onto the Facebook event page
•
Animation
Important Dates: • Enrollment period: Now – 06/01/2014 • Film Submission Period: 01/02/2014 – 28/02/ 2014 Before 23:59 • Prize Presentation Ceremony: 24/05/2014 (ten-‐ tative) Adjudication: • All entries will be considered by the judging panel who will select the most outstanding Bilm • Final judging will be conducted by Bilm industry professionals and renowned persons • Proposed judges are as follows: Johnny To, Man-‐ fred Wong, 林嘉棟, Vivian Lee Judging Criteria: • Entries must reBlect the characteristics and in-‐ ject positive energy into society • Expression of the theme (25%) • Impact/ depth/ artistic level (25%) • Originality (25%) • Filming skills (25%) Awards and Prizes: • Best Short Film -‐ HK$3000 photography gift vouchers and a trophy • Best Screenplay -‐ HK$2000 photography gift vouchers • Best Filming Editing -‐ HK$2000 photography gift vouchers • Best Cinematography -‐ HK$2000 photography gift vouchers
Drama
Documentary
Film Workshop
“ FILM AND THE AGE”
“WHAT’S FILM CRITICISM ?”
Objectives are to understand the rela-
The objectives are to introduce the development of film critics and to understand the basic knowledge of film criticism. Reading criticisms from different periods and broadcasting documentaries of film critics and interviews will be offered. The event will take place on 28 February 2014 (Saturday) and runs from 2:30p.m. – 4:30p.m, which will also be held in the Run Run Shaw Creative Media Center at City University. Guest speaker will be Chi Wah Chan from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. Participants will only be within 30 people.
tionship between film and the Age, discuss the significance of ‘time’ on film, show the interaction between social concerns and films at different times as well as to showcase the functions of film on recording the past and reflecting social reality. Examples and references from classical and famous films will be used as material during the workshop. The workshop will take place on 15 February 2014 (Saturday). The event runs from 2:30p.m. – 4:30p.m, which lasts for two hours in Run Run Shaw Creative Media Center at City University. The guest speaker will be Chiu Wing Lam (林超榮), a multi-professional in the field of film, TV.
Event 2
Film-‐screening month of ‘’Beyond entertainment: East Asian Drama Films” The screening’s objectives are to increase students’ ability to appreciate ;ilm from different angles, raise students’ awareness towards ;ilm and the society and to provide opportuni-‐ ties for the exchange of ideas with ;ilm professionals. Every screening will be provided with a post-‐screening discussion with guest speakers. The event will last for the whole March in 2014, which will be on 3/3, 12/3, 21/3 and 28/3. The screening will start 4p.m. and end at 6p.m, which lasts for two hours, and take place at Lecture Theater 13 in Aca-‐ demic Building1 at City University. The details are as follows: Monday, March 3, 2014
The Lunatics 癲佬正傳 1987. Hong Kong. 88mins. Post-‐screening discussion with the director, Derek Tung Sing Yee (爾冬陞) Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Xiao Wu 小武 1997. China. 105mins. Post-‐screening discussion with Vivian Lee, professor in the ;ield of East Asian Cinema Friday, March 21, 2014 Silenced 도가니 2011. South Korea. 125mins. Post-‐screening discussion with Ka-‐Ming Chan, 陳嘉銘 from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Friday, March 28, 2014 Cannot Live Without You 不能没有你 2009. Taiwan. 85mins. Post-‐screening discussion with the director Leon Dai 戴立忍
Schedule of the upcoming events Mirum est notare
Mirum est
Decima qui
Nunc putam
Now – 6 Jan 2014
24hours
1 Feb – 28 Feb 2014 Saturday, 15 Feb 2014
28 Feb (Before 23:59)
“City Within City” Enrollment online Short Film Contest Film submission
2:30p.m. – 4:30p.m
Film Workshops
Saturday, 28 Feb 2014
2:30p.m. – 4:30p.m
Monday, 3 Mar 2014
4p.m. -‐ 6p.m
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2014 4p.m. -‐ 6p.m Friday, 21 Mar, 2014 4p.m. -‐ 6p.m Friday, 28 Mar 2014
4p.m. -‐ 6p.m
“Film and Age Workshop” “What’s ;ilm criticism” Workshop
Film-‐screening The Lunatics 癲佬正傳 month ‘’Beyond en-‐ Xiao Wu 小武 tertainment: East Asian Drama Films” Silenced 도가니 Cannot Live Without You 不能没有你
The Lunatics Hong Kong Film
Content Dr. Tsui, a social worker, dedicates his 4me to help the mentally challenged pa4ents who stray across the city landscape of Hong Kong. When he helps a pa4ent called Doggie, who a>ains a knife and tries to harm himself, a reporter named Tina witnesses his ac4ons and decides to follow Mr. Tsui to record his works and the bi>er reality faced by the mentally ill ones. Searching across the streets, Dr. Tsui tracks down pa4ents who are no longer hospital-‐ ized. Tina was indifferent of the situa4on at first but starts showing genuine interest to-‐ wards the pa4ents as she comes across dif-‐ ferent cases. The story ends with a tragedy adapted from a real life event. A recovering
pa4ent called Tsuen hijacks a Kindergarten and a>acks teachers and students randomly. AIer the incident ends with Tsuen being shot, Dr. Tsui revisited the market where he calmed Doggie down. Different from the opening scene, however, Dr. Tsui fails in se-‐ curing Doggie and gets stabbed. Inspired by his persistence, Tina takes up Dr. Tsui’s job as a social worker to con4nue helping the mentally challenged.
THE LUNATICS
The Luna4cs (1906) Director and writer: Derek Yee Leading actors/actresses: Shui-‐Fan Fung, Deannie Yip, Paul Chun
Reflec%on of social reality and a thought-‐provoking warning The 80s was a decade when film makers seemed to favor using the stories of social minori9es as subject ma<er of their films. Similar to Why Me?(1985) and Silent Love(1986), The Luna9cs presents the most down to earth truth of the ignored lives of the mentally challenged. The Luna9cs tries and re-‐creates Hong Kong as a shabby city where the weak ones are ignored. The de-‐ gree of illness depicted in the film varies among different pa9ents. One thing these characters do share in common is their vulnerability. Throughout the film, Dr. Tsui constantly moves on to search for pa-‐ 9ents on the street to track down their recovery process and provide whatever they might need. Such an act of constant problem solving suggests the poten9al risks that might be brought about by these pa9ents, who could hardly be taken care of aRer they are considered recovered and have leR mental hospital. Dr. Tsui’s colleague, Dr. Chan, re9red from his posi9on midway through the film. The frustra-‐ 9on brought by trying to help the pa9ents with limited is enlarged, further deepening the crisis brought about by lack of social resources, governmental support and public understanding. The Luna9cs does not stop at merely describing the cruel reality. Throughout the film, the causes of tragedies are portrayed as lack of caring and inadequate services for the mentally challenged rather than the pa9ents themselves. Dr. Tsui is the only one seen in the film who persisted in reaching out to the “abandoned” pa9ents. Other sectors of the society such as the Police force, journalists and ordi-‐ nary house wives appear in the film and act as a catalysis that keeps on driving the pa9ents to numer-‐ ous mental breakdowns. In The Luna9cs, all characters are in conflict with the protagonist. The public’s misunderstanding of the pa9ents and their lack of a<en9on leave Dr. Tsui the only one striving for a be<er future for the minori9es.
The use of natural noises generated by the surrounding rather than elodic music constructs a by sense of reality, as if The use of mnatural noises generated the surrounding the film is a documentary rather than a fic4on. the rather than melodic music constructs a sense of Indeed, reality, as border of fic4on and reality is blurred purposely. The inclu-‐ if the film is a documentary rather than a fic4on. Indeed, sion a real life incident rleads the audiences to relate the of border of fic4on and eality is blurred purposely. The to
the film more closely, thus conveying message that the inclusion of a real life incident leads tthe he audiences to re-‐ stories otn he film more screen are no fantasy. conveying the message late to closely, thus
Derek Yee’s strategy of star9ng and ending the at sthe Derek Yee’s strategy of star9ng and ending the film film at the ame same place s uggests ind of circula9on. The ffort of social place suggests a kind of ac kircula9on. The effort of esocial workers is workers is m ore or less looping in vain. useless as it may more or less looping in vain. As useless as iAs t may seem, however, seem, however, on. hope does passes on. Tina’s change in a]-‐ hope does passes Tina’s change in a]tude and decision to tudeas and decision to work as athe death of social worker Dr. aRer the death of work a social worker aRer Tsui reveals the Dr. Tsui rof changes. eveals the pBy ossibility of changes. By the end of the possibility the end of the film, hopefully, Dr. Tsui film, hopefully, Dr. Tsuib ut will inspire ot only Tina but also the will inspire not only Tina also the v niewers. viewers.
The Pickpocket China Film
The PickPocket
Leading actors/actresses: Wong Hongwei, Hao Hongjian, Zuo Baitao
DIRECTOR AND WRITER: JIA ZHANGKE
CONTENT Xiaowu, the main character, is a pickpocket in a very small poor and shabby province – Fen-‐ yang. Although he is a pick-‐ pocket, he has good sides. For instance, he will return all the ID cards of the vic9ms by deposit-‐ ing it into the mailboxes of the police office. Also, he makes ef-‐ fort to fulfill the promise that giving money to Xiaoyong as
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wedding giR. He discontents with Xiaoyong, who was the best friend in childhood, not invi9ng him to his wedding party, and he even refuses to accept the wed-‐ ding giR of Xiaowu. He realizes that he is alone. When Xiaowu falls in love with Meimei, she drops him again because she fol-‐ lows a rich person. Full of disillu-‐ sionment and disappointment, Xiaowu return his poor peasant’s family in the village. Again, he is
driven out from the house. Fi-‐ nally, he is caught by the police in town and loses all of his free-‐ dom.
Reflect social reality Portrait of marginal group of people in Chinese society Xiaowu is a typical representa9on of the minority in Chinese society. The director, Jia Zhangke once stated that Xiaowu was the one who cannot deal with the changes. During the 1990s, there were big changes economically and socially during the post-‐Deng Xiaoping era in China. The country was being changed into a more modernized and developed na9on. However, while China was changing, those people, like Xiaowu who lived in the margin of the society, cannot adapt the new environment and they were abandoned and eliminated by the society. Xiaowu was a pickpocket who struggles to make a living. He received no care and the government makes no measures to help him. For instance, at the beginning of the film, there was mass media delivered the social campaign strictly combat against the street crime in order to build a be<er society, so that Xiaowu was under suppression of the society. Therefore, the public and even the system only recognized Xiaowu as a thief and tried hard to combat him. They only emphasized on construc9ng a be<er city, but neglected these people living in the mar-‐ gin of the society.
Portrait of marginal group of people in Chinese society
Xiaowu is a typical representa9on of the minority in Chinese society. The director, Jia Zhangke once stated that Xiaowu was the one who cannot deal with the changes. During the 1990s, there were big changes economically and socially during the post-‐Deng Xiaoping era in China. The country was being changed into a more modernized and developed na9on. However, while China was changing, those people, like Xiaowu who lived in the margin of the society, cannot adapt the new environment and they were abandoned and eliminated by the society. Xiaowu was a pickpocket who struggles to make a living. He received no care and the government makes no measures to help him. For instance, at the beginning of the film, there was mass media delivered the social campaign strictly combat against the street crime in order to build a be<er society, so that Xiaowu was under suppression of the society. Therefore, the public and even the system only recognized Xiaowu as a thief and tried hard to combat him. They only emphasized on construc9ng a be<er city, but neglected these people living in the mar-‐ gin of the society.
Cannot Live Without You Taiwan Film
Cannot Live Without You, directed by Leon Dai Cannot Live Without You is based on a actual incident and shot in black-and-white. The film focuses on Li Wu-hsiung, a single and uneducated father lives in a small fishing village with his even-yea-old daughter, Mei. Even though they are living in penurious circumstances, they still live a relatively happy and contented existence. However, their lives are brutally interrupted that the social welfare requires Wu-Husiung to enlist his daughter in school. To enroll his daughter in school, he needs to have a
legal identity of the custodian of Mei. Sadly, Mei’s mother had been secretly married to someone before giving birth that mean that Wu-hsiung cannot be a legal custodian of the child, even though he is her biological father. For this, he tried to seek for help of officials, legislators, and police. Consequently, they have not provide any real help for Wu-hsiung and just said, “We’re only following regulations” to refuse the help. These frustrations
lead him to the desperate act that he suspended himself on a motorway bridge with his daughter in order to avoid the government taking his daughter away from him.
Reflection of social reality
Policy is not fair to marginal group “Cannot Live Without You” not
only is a critique on the Taiwanese society but also its government. It reveals that policies are unfair to minority groups. The law in Taiwan doesn’t permit the biological father of a child to be legally registered as the parent if they were not married to the mother.
For this law, the film enlightens us to reflect on the flaw of this system which is injustice that biological father of child cannot be legal custody. To resist this unreasonable law, Wu-Hsiuing has to struggle with the police department and social workers for her custody and domicile registration. Consequently, the authorities are insisted on following regulations and separate Mei from her father.
The cinematography in this film is excellent. It evokes the unfeeling, unsympathetic nature of the government bureaucrats and the dirtiness of the work in the harbor. By depicting the flaw of system, it appeals public and government works to show greater sympathy and more consideration for social justice.
Society and government ignore marginal group The film not only is an emotional story, but also is a reflection and exploration of social phenomena giving attention for audience to concern marginal group in society. The character of Wu-Hsiung symbolizes marginal group ignored by society and government. This film uses documentary approach to shot how impoverished the marginal group live and how they insisted on fighting with unreasonable system to safeguard their rights. During seeking for help to get a legal custodian of his daughter, the empty promise made by legislator gives a hope for WuHsiung but he later experiences the refusal of different the refusal of different departments which leads him to desperate act that opens the film. Driven by desperation for help, he dares to challenge society with daunting moves to fight for the right to live with his daughter. In this film, director emphasizes the ruthless and heartless society towards marginal group like Wu-Hsiung. For example: the reporters and public are interested in whether he will jump off or not instead of interpreting the reason behind his actions when incident happen. More importantly, the civil servants are unsympathetic to the needy. Most of them who continually transfer the case of Wu-Hsiung to gain legal guardianship from department to department, and do not provide any real help for the protagonist, In Daiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film, it brings strong outrage towards impersonal government bureaucracy and ruthless society, at the same time, it attempts to appeal to some actual hu-
Silenced South Korean Film
South Korean Film
SILENCED (2011)
Directed by Hwang Dong-hyeok
Silenced (also known as Dogani), is a film that depicts humanity at its darkest point. As the title suggests, the story took place at a Ja-ae Academy for hearing-impaired children in a fictional town of Mujin. Kang In-ho (Gong Yoo), a newly-widowed artist who being appointed to teach art, finds out something unusual going on at the school. Shockingly, In-ho then discovers the ugly truth that hidden beneath â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the principal and his twin brother, and other
teachers are sexually molesting and physically abusing the disabled children. Teaming up with human right activis Seo Yoo-jin (Jung Yoo-mi), Inho tries to fight for the children and bring justice back. On the way to put the principal and the teachers into jail, In-ho and Yoo-jin are wrathful to find out that the police, prosecutors and even churches of the community are helping to cover up the truth. The criminals bribe their way to get lenient sentences. The
film is based on a true story recounted in a bestselling novel by writer Gong Jiyoung. The real-life incident which vividly depicts by the film, happened at the Gwangju Inhwa School from 2000 to 2005. The incident did not receive much public attention when it first came to light, however, a public outrage was provoked soon after the release of the film, with different social groups urging to re-investigate the case.
DEPICT SOCIAL ISSUE
Exposing structural problems of South Korean society Silenced graphically depicts social issues which deserve more public attention. There are explicit scenes portraying how children being sexually molested, though an audience might find hard to watch, the horrendous nature of the incident is being exposed thoroughly. There are also a large amount of close-up scenes that zoomed-in the crying faces of the disabled children, not only showing the vulnerability of the victims, but also creating a feeling of helplessness among the audience, for nothing can be done to save the children from being abused. In the movie, the
sadistic principal bribed the police; the judge favored the defense lawyers using "privileges of former post" (Jeon-gwan ye-u), an informal arrangement in the South Korean legal system which special treatment will be given to private lawyers who were once retired judges or public prosecutors. As the director accounts, these plots are â&#x20AC;&#x153;not fictitious but can be seen regularly on the daily newsâ&#x20AC;?, the film is exposing structural problems of South Korean society.
Being unable to speak, the children had no choice but to endure the torture. Yet they were not the only ones who kept silenced in the film. After In-ho finds out the ugly truth, he keeps silenced and struggles about what to do rather than go to the police immediately. This hints that other teachers might also have known what was going on but chosen not to speak out. The judges, lawyers, and police were also silenced as they are either being bribed or being loyal to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;reputableâ&#x20AC;? principal, despite they are able to speak. Silenced, thus, has a twofold meaning, of one pointing at the victim's inability to speak, and the other pointing at the ruthless disregard when one faces misconduct.
The film was shot in a distinct Korean style, with a dark and blue colour palette to build a creepy atmosphere which suits the darkness of the film very well. And there are scenes and details that deserve extra credits. Instead of portraying In-ho as a fearless hero, the director put emphasis on his struggles and weakness. When facing injustice, In-ho hesitates whether to do the right thing or not, as he has his own dilemma. Whilst In-ho is not a perfect hero, he represents a real driving force for good. We may as weak-willed as In-ho, we can also speak out for justice as Inho did.
Attention was drawn to the real case upon the release of the film. This time, citizens of South Korea decided to shout out their anger instead of keeping silence. Petitions and protests were brought out to call for reinvestigation of the case. With over 4 million people - including former President Lee Myung-bak - have watched the moive, the demand for legislative reform reached the National Assembly and a revised bill, dubbed the Dogani Bill, was passed two months later of the film release to abolish the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and the disabled. Silenced does not aim to entertain. It reveals the cruel reality as what it is. It also opens our eyes to the injustices that happening all over the world. This is an incredible movie, if not a perfect one, for its power to have the policies reexamined and laws changed. Though it is a Korean film, the message it delivers is universally understandable.