“If you tell me that Hong Kong movies will come back one day, I will actually know that the whole city of Hong Kong will also be back, and thus Hong Kong movies will return naturally,” said Mr. Wong, who sees the fate of Hong Kong films be inextricably tied to the fate of the city.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, Mr. Wong talked about his ideas about the new film. He said it is a film that requires thinking, and he hopes to offer the audience room for thinking and to let them contemplate the issues behind the stories. As to why the film features the year 1997 and the changes in Hong Kong in the 25 years since then, Mr. Wong said that almost all Hong Kong people bear feelings toward 1997, and thus, the film would spark resonance for them.
Story Ideas Come from the Director’s Personal Experiences
“I’ve always been hoping to make a film about mobile phones because I see the mobile phone as a strange thing. We use it, but are controlled by it,” Mr. Wong said.The film tells the story of three secondary school buddies, played by Endy Chow Kwok-yin, Peter Chan Charm-man, and Rosa Maria Velasco, respectively, who each bought their first mobile phone in the summer holiday in 1997. Each of them was to send messages to the other two about his/her expectations of the future through the Service Message Service (SMS) function of the phones. Then, they plan to meet over a meal 25 years later to reveal their messages sent out to each other in the old days.
When the trio finally reunites 25 years later, they have changed to using smartphones, which leads them to experience an extraordinary day and prompts them to find new meanings in life.
Most of the story ideas come from Mr. Wong’s personal experiences. The plot for Endy Chow stems from Mr. Wong’s experience of not bringing along his smartphone when going out to meet a friend and not knowing the exact location of the meeting place. No one on the street was willing to lend him a phone, and he could only remember his wife’s phone number.
Peter Chan’s story is another experience Mr. Wong experienced. Once, a secondary school classmate of Mr. Wong told in a WhatsApp group that his/her account had been hacked, and alerted other group members to be cautious. Later, there came a person using this classmate’s previous phone number to reach out to Mr. Wong, pretending to be his old classmate. Mr. Wong engaged in dialogues with this person intermittently from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and later screen-captured the dialogues that were then handed directly to the scriptwriter for writing the script.
Another storyline, played by Henick Chou and Amy Tang Lai-ying is about the director’s attempt to download a dating app by paying HK41,000 (US$4,127) to conduct an “undercover investigation,” which has become a quarter of the new film’s script. Mr. Wong joked that the HK$1,000 spent was “cost-effective enough to move him into tears.”
Technology Makes People More Connected but Brings More Fatigue
People today rely on mobile phones for every bit of life. Even when they enjoy delicious food, they will “let the phone eat first.” Mr. Wong thinks that modern technology surely can shorten the distance between people. He sees some people do not use Facebook, and smartphones are not connected with other people. Thanks to these technologies, the director’s connection with some old friends is made possible.The director frankly admits himself relying very much on the mobile phone. As shown from the data on his phone, he spends an average of six to eight hours per day using the phone. According to certain surveys, this figure is double that of the average Hongkonger. The director said that the smartphone has made him tired because it keeps him working nonstop. When computers gradually became popular in the 1980s, people liked to say that life would be easier with computers. But in fact, people have more work to do with the emergence of the computer. Mr. Wong sees that as “seeking stupid things to do”!
Mr. Wong has observed some weird phenomena among modern people. For example, when he dined out, he would see a young couple sitting in a restaurant at a table next to him. The pair did not talk with each other after being seated, but each focused on their phone. Moreover, people who now eat in restaurants do not even need to read the menu but scan the QR Code on their phones to order food.
“However, this is what the world is like. I won’t even say whether that’s good or not. I may feel that’s strange. No matter that’s good or bad, the world still goes on this way,” said the director.
At the beginning of the film “Everyphone, Everywhere,” there are scenes showing how many people are crazily obsessed with their phones.
“We were even able to take a shot inside the mass transit railway showing a straight line of three people who were in close-, medium-, and long-distance respectively from the camera were fixing their eyes on their phones.”
There are, anyway, a few people who insist on rejecting the use of mobile phones and social media. Mr. Wong has got to know several friends of this sort. He said, “Their life is more comfortable and quieter. Several months ago, I tried quitting Facebook for two months, and I immediately felt comfortable and relaxed from head to toe. Therefore, I am using Facebook less now.”
Hongkongers Have Feelings Toward 1997, Offering Room for Thoughts to the Audience
Mr. Wong’s last film, “Far Far Away,” earned all the applause, but he said he never expected the box office of “Everyphone, Everywhere” would exceed that of “Far Far Away.” He even believes that is surely impossible. However, he only wants HK$6 million to HK$7 million (US$750,000 to US$8.75 million), which is to break even.“This is because ‘Far Far Away’ is a film everyone understands. But this one (Everyphone, Everywhere) requires thinking, and Hong Kong people don’t like to think. They love to say that they don’t want to go to movies with their heads.”
According to the promotional text, “25” is an important number in the film. The story begins in the summer holiday 1997, and the main characters reunite 25 years later. Moreover, Endy Chow sings the theme song “25” with thoughtful lyrics: “25 years in the blink of an eye, lightning; Gazing at that day, the commitment has never been realized.”
When asked why the emphasis on 1997 and the 25 years, Mr. Wong sees it obvious that almost all Hongkongers’ feelings toward the year 1997 sparked resonance for the audience, and the production team wanted to produce something with impact.
Numerous lines in the movie bear deep meanings, reflecting the real Hong Kong in current times. The director said that many lines are truthful while many are made up. He pointed out an interesting aspect of the film: “The creators want to bring the audience room for thoughts and lay the questions back to them.”
When Hong Kong Is Back, Hong Kong Films Will be Back as Well
Responding to why you have filmed local stories with Hong Kong characteristics so many times, the director smiled and said, “I’m a Hongkonger, and it’s normal for me to film Hong Kong stories with Hong Kong essence, of course. Could I be filming Tokyo stories being a Hongkonger?“Now that you are a Hong Kong creator and can’t even tell the Hong Kong stories well, are you only to tell the New York stories? When will you be in a position to tell them? If other Hong Kong creators’ works are without Hong Kong’s essence, the problem lies with themselves. Why do the Hong Kong stories you filmed lack Hong Kong essence?”
Public opinion has seen the second half of 2022 as an Indian summer (rejuvenation after a downturn) for Hong Kong movies, but Mr. Wong utterly disagrees. He said: “Last year, among the top ten Hong Kong movies in terms of their box office, only seven of them had made money while all the remaining ones lost money. For the film industry, if only seven movies are making money in a year, and then they say that it is an Indian summer. Is it a satire on Hong Kong movies?”
Mr. Wong recognizes that the fate of Hong Kong films is bound to be connected with the fate of the city, saying: “We return to the days of 1980s when Hong Kong was so fabulous, would you then watch South Korean movies and listen to South Korean songs? Would you use South Korean electrical appliances? You wouldn’t. But now we use South Korean mobile phones and electrical appliances. Therefore, we listen to South Korean songs and watch South Korean movies. It’s actually that simple.”
Mr. Wong said straightforwardly that if the city of Hong Kong is caught in problems, Hong Kong films will only be deteriorating. He opines that a city’s hard and soft power complement each other, and if the hard power of a place is not good, its soft power will not be good, either.
He said, “Why did Hong Kong music and movies in the 1980s attract the entire Southeast Asia? It’s because the hard power of Hong Kong in the 1980s was equally good.
“Hong Kong movies will not become good. You tell me, will Hong Kong become good? If you tell me that Hong Kong movies will come back one day, then, in fact, I will know that the whole city of Hong Kong will also be back, and thus, Hong Kong movies will return naturally.”
Although Mr. Wong does not think Hong Kong films have a good prospect, he said the reason for him to insist on making independent movies is his personal interest: “Now I make films out of my own interest. I don’t depend on films to eat. Making films cannot bring me a rice bowl.”
His friends invest in his films, and as long as his friends support him, he can continue to make films.
“Some directors in Hong Kong use their own money to make films. As I don’t have money, I’m the only one in Hong Kong using friends’ money to make films.”
