Dead Slowly

They are frozen in place, stagnating without any direction. Around them, things change rapidly.

Hong Kong's high-speed rail link, the demolition of Choi Yuen Village, the impending budget and the influence of the global Occupy movement are at the centre of independent filmmaker Lo's timely measure of the city's pulse. Ostensibly the third entry in a trilogy that began with 21 years after. (2010) and to be continued (2010), which also captured public reaction to watershed moments in Hong Kong's political life since 2009. The documentary was built upon the material used in its previous installment (to be continued, 46 minutes). It disproves the notion of a passive Hong Kong in a chronicle of a generation poised for massive social change.

Although 15-year old Wing is bounced around in foster homes, he forms a genuine sibling relationship with 9-year old Hoi Lam and the mentally challenged Chi Yan. They are cared for by Chi Yan's grandmother who heads up this makeshift family. Occasionally full of teen angst and bordering on delinquency, Wing nevertheless showers Hoi Lam and Chi Yan with brotherly care. Cheerful Ho Lam dreams of reunion with his mother. Wing, more world-weary, ends up transferring to a youth hostel. In their brief days together, the trio formed a true family bonded by love instead of blood. The immensely likeable and talented trio of actors shines in this poignant and heartwarming tale on how children find strength in each other.

Behind Mongkok’s Portland Street where French music plays in cute little artsy cafés, the back alley is a totally different world. Sister Kam washes dishes in the alley every night. She fights with the workers at the rubbish collection point and proudly boasts to the waiters how she could slaughter a pig on her own. She works till midnight and gets up at 5:30am, day after day. In the thousands of alleys in Hong Kong, stories that speak of life’ struggles wait to be told.

Seated in the front row of a funeral hall are a boy and a teenager, the picture of the deceased yet to be placed. A florist, Tung (Ai Wai), is consumed by grief but puts on a front for others. The boy drops by at the florist and orders a custom floral arrangement - a teddy bear-shaped wreath with his favourite yellow flowers — to be readied in three days' time and paid with money saved up in his piggy bank. Tung forges an unlikely friendship with his young customer, an encounter that releases bottled-up emotions so that healing process can begin.

Lai Yee returned in Ho Chung, Sai Kung's home, alerted the village by the time of baptism is not as good as ever, but after ten years away, the mother (Tan Amy decoration), has also grow old, no longer was. Lai Yee re-enter the simple natural life, waiting at the mother's side, seems to want to recover the past ten years time, but the quiet outskirts of rigid world, but because old classmate Lin (Lawrence Chou decorated) broke into and became noisy. Two respective corner of the village, traveled with emotional regret to embark on finding love journey. Short period of time is full of lies, secrets and indulgence. Finally everyone is to find the big blue lake, a large blue lake in the heart and mind, to re-learn to put your face to meet the future more flee war.

“History is not just a matter of date”, said Chris Patten in his last speech as British Governor of Hong Kong, shortly before the United Kingdom handed administration of the province back to China in 1997. In DECAMERON, Rita Hui Nga Shu combines this speech and other historical sources with fiction and contemporary images. Her gripping documentary takes a critical look, for example, at the question of what Hong Kong actually is at this particular moment in time.

Fong Ka-Man, has been leading a middle class lifestyle. One day, during a heavy rain in the dusk, bearing the fear of illness, she is unwillingly staying away from the rain inside the tunnel. She first encounters a weird tramp, and then a young farmer who is rushing to deliver his harvest. It’s about how the “normal” passes by the “abnormal”. What makes them “normal” and “abnormal” seems to be realistic, but maybe it is just a void. Fong Ka-Man is anxious to find an exit from the difficult circumstance, but accidentally she finds out that what she yearns for is the disappeared end of this city.

During a farewell ceremony for a family friend, Cotton begins feeling as if her body and her consciousness are separating. Different memories, identities and actions are lingering inside Cotton, which aggravate the unusual relationship between herself, her lame boyfriend and her psychiatrist.

In the beginning of the year 1997, an ex-emigre man returns to Hong Kong, his city of birth and looks for a job. Unable to find one, he offers his services as an immigration consultant, and meets many people, including a lady with no past. A street Cleaner finds life with his pregnant wife and streets full of rubbish suffocating, and seeks new hope from the immigration consultant.

Many things happen under the wall, and many people always talk with the wall just like Charlie Brown. This story is talking about the relationship of the wall, city, memory and history.

In the rainy day, a man and a woman talk about milk and coffee in the tunnel.

A normal day, a normal family in Hong Kong, a normal school girl and a normal incident at home.

1998 short film by Rita Hui