THE IDEA FOR THE FILM
When I landed in Hong Kong in the winter of 1989 after a long flight from Sydney, I was exhilarated. The final approach brought the plane so close to the high-rises that you could literally watch people having dinner. The airport sat right in the middle of the city. Because space was scarce—as I correctly assumed—the runway had been built out into the sea.
That was the first time the thought flashed through my mind: someone should make a film about Hong Kong. The idea returned later, when I discovered Chungking Mansions. It was a slum-like block of buildings in the heart of the city, largely inhabited by migrants from the Indian subcontinent. The bazaar-like chaos, the noise, the unfamiliar smells, and that striking mix of “Third World” and high-tech all reminded me of one of my favourite films: Ridley Scott’s science-fiction classic Blade Runner (1982).
Back then I would never have dared to imagine that the “someone” would be me—and that six years later I would make a documentary about Hong Kong. But that is what happened. In the autumn of 1995, I began working on the film. It was planned as the central part of my licentiate thesis under Prof. Michael Oppitz.
Old Kai Tak approach corridor, 1995
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
From childhood and teenage memories, Hong Kong had imprinted itself on me as a city of plastic toys (“Made in Hong Kong”) and kung fu (Bruce Lee). Later impressions remained external views. I have already described my arrival by plane.
On the bus ride to Tsim Sha Tsui, countless Chinese signs rushed past. I was thrilled by that intense visual presence. Today I wonder whether my fascination came from not knowing what the characters meant. I could only guess. They became a perfect surface for projection.
After some time, I learned to recognise the characters again—though not their meaning. I began to feel almost at home. A sense of belonging set in. Yet real understanding remained an illusion. It existed only in my imagination. In the end, the characters remained visual stimuli. That is why I could not make a film about Hong Kong itself—only about my ideas, my own conception of the city.
Luc Schaedler barkeeper in Hong Kong, 1989
Street Mong Kok, Hong Kong