Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous

Sypnosis

In “Preschooled,” "Little Red Cap" tries to resolve the question “Why are there so many gods in this world? Is it because so many people need to be saved?” by evangelizing all the major faiths to her schoolmates. “Vodka Wong” releases plastic turtles to redeem the bad karma that resulted from his parents’ neglect of him.

In “Preoccupied,” young people occupy the streets of Central, Hong Kong. They stop the city to think about what they want for their future. Twenty-eight-year-old “Thierry the Feng Shui Master” and her crew of underground rappers and artists give voice to their discontent.

“Lady Swim” and “Mister Li” look “Preposterous” as they go on a speed-dating tour of the city trying to reconcile their new energies and the obligations convention has imposed on them.

The characters of each generation wonder how to live, here and now. At the end of their journey, they find no answers. Yet what they do find is that they are not alone in asking the universal questions that we all share: who we are, how we fit in, and what our city wants to become together.

Director’s Statement

The way this film evolved demanded a lot more give-and-take, much more “deliberation,” more “intuitive fine-tuning” than a more narrative-driven work. We wanted to give back to Hong Kong at least a fraction of what it has given us. So we started to talk to “real Hong Kong people” to find out what it’s like to be them. The children shared their wondrous interpretation of the world… The young people expressed hope and resilience in the face of the lies they feel they have been fed. While the senior citizens who have “seen it all” still laugh and live with the same wonder as the children we began with. The voices of these three generations are the film’s dynamic. Their wisdom is unintended, their voices are rarely heard, and their ironies go disregarded. They are the subject and the real authors of this film. As the press and the “kids” encouraged us as we shot on location, at least one had written in a caption of a photo they uploaded to Facebook (of us shooting at the Umbrella Movement campsite): “Please help us film our hopes and dreams.” What else can a film be all about? -- by Christopher Doyle

Funding

In December 2014, Hong Kong Trilogy's production team launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the completion of the movie. 1,021 backers pledged $124,126, exceeding the original $100,000 goal. Backer awards included movie props and memorabilia, as well as beers with the cinematographer. Doyle is now working on a second film called The White Girl that also aims to be partly crowdfunded in February 2017.

Select Film Festivals

Press

- “[This is a film] of the people, by the people, for the people.” –Penang Monthly

- “[Doyle:] I think that’s what we’re trying to celebrate, the energy of this city. My films are the way they are because I started in Hong Kong. They look the way they do because Hong Kong looks like this.” - “Capturing the Heart of Hong Kong: Interview with Christopher Doyle & Jenny Suen” –The Atlantic

- “One frequent visitor to the main protest site during Hong Kong’s recent pro-democracy demonstrations was well-known cinematographer Christopher Doyle. “Even the police wanted to take selfies with me,” said Mr. Doyle, whose visits to the Admiralty site were shared on Facebook by protesters. The Australian-born filmmaker is claimed by local movie buffs as Hong Kong’s own. “They feel that I can contribute something,” he said in an interview. “It’s quite moving.”” - “Christopher Doyle Plans Film Featuring Hong Kong Protests,” The Wall Street Journal

- “Using Light and Shadow to Speak Out for an Era” (Cover Story Screencap) –City Magazine(Chinese – 號外)

-“In turbulent times, it becomes clear what is black and what is white. Political accusations are often thrown about to silence opposition voices. ‘Our film is not about politics,” says Doyle. ‘Our film is about humanity.’” “Giving A Film Back to Hong Kong,” Ming Pao (Chinese – 明報)

-CNN: “Filmmaker Captures Mood in Hong Kong”

-Bloomberg: “Kickstarter Funds Hong Kong Trilogy Film”