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    2011.06.01 - Hugh McLennan Scholarship Proposal

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    Wing-See Wu
    This document is a travel study proposal to visit Hong Kong and other Asian cities to better understand the places depicted in films by Wong Kar-wai, a notable Hong Kong film director. The proposal outlines plans to watch Wong Kar-wai films, research Hong Kong history, identify themes in his films related to Hong Kong, document observations through sketches, interviews and photos/videos, and present findings in an exhibition. A budget of $7,500 CAD is proposed to cover international and domestic flights, accommodations, meals, admissions, transportation and exhibition costs for the 34-day trip.

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    2011.06.01 - Hugh McLennan Scholarship Proposal

    Uploaded by

    Wing-See Wu
    54 views6 pages
    This document is a travel study proposal to visit Hong Kong and other Asian cities to better understand the places depicted in films by Wong Kar-wai, a notable Hong Kong film director. The proposal outlines plans to watch Wong Kar-wai films, research Hong Kong history, identify themes in his films related to Hong Kong, document observations through sketches, interviews and photos/videos, and present findings in an exhibition. A budget of $7,500 CAD is proposed to cover international and domestic flights, accommodations, meals, admissions, transportation and exhibition costs for the 34-day trip.

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    This document is a travel study proposal to visit Hong Kong and other Asian cities to better understand the places depicted in films by Wong Kar-wai, a notable Hong Kong film director. The proposal outlines plans to watch Wong Kar-wai films, research Hong Kong history, identify themes in his films related to Hong Kong, document observations through sketches, interviews and photos/videos, and present findings in an exhibition. A budget of $7,500 CAD is proposed to cover international and domestic flights, accommodations, meals, admissions, transportation and exhibition costs for the 34-day trip.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    54 views6 pages

    2011.06.01 - Hugh McLennan Scholarship Proposal

    Uploaded by

    Wing-See Wu
    This document is a travel study proposal to visit Hong Kong and other Asian cities to better understand the places depicted in films by Wong Kar-wai, a notable Hong Kong film director. The proposal outlines plans to watch Wong Kar-wai films, research Hong Kong history, identify themes in his films related to Hong Kong, document observations through sketches, interviews and photos/videos, and present findings in an exhibition. A budget of $7,500 CAD is proposed to cover international and domestic flights, accommodations, meals, admissions, transportation and exhibition costs for the 34-day trip.

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    HONG KONG

    travel study proposal


    Hugh McLennan Memorial Scholarship 2010 | Wing-See Wu

    Wong Kar Wais

    Above: Screenshot taken from WKWs 2046 (2004)

    TOPIC

    Hong Kong: a small peninsula region off the east shore of China. For many decades, it was home to the third largest film industry in the world, following the United States and India. Despite its modestly-sized local market, filmmakers in Hong Kong differentiated themselves from larger offshore film industries by developing both regional and international demand for their martial arts, comedy and triad genre films. Hong Kongs longstanding position in global cinema is a curious feat for a small island region which for many decades filmed exclusively in an esoteric local dialect. One could postulate that this achievement is an indication of the power of Hong Kongs urban space, which functions as both the physical stage and socio-cultural incubator for its actors, writers, and directors; being in Hong Kong formulates a unique understanding of space, time and the human condition.

    Among the wave of film makers who emerged from the Hong Kong scene, Wong Kar Wai is one the most notable writer/directors from the region, winning the prestigious Cannes award for Best Director in 1997. His filmography includes: Days of Being Wild (1990), Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000) and 2046 (2004), among others.

    Wongs films are narratively and visually distinct from local Hong Kong filmmakers, particularly in his loose construction (Wong is notorious for having an improvisational attitude towards script writing). He does not presume the outcome of his films, rather he allows meaning and expression to be discovered through the process of film making. Having spent the majority of his life there, Hong Kong is a constant fixture in his films both explicitly as a physical place and implicitly through characters and themes. His familiarity with and affinity for the region coupled with the fluidity in his filming method allows him to present Hong Kong in all its layers through an honest, nostalgic, and intimate lens; capturing Hong Kong in all its nuances is an effort which he has devoted the majority of his career to, and is documented through his body of work.

    Visually, Wong experiments with film to explore spatial and psychological relationships in Hong Kong. An example of this is Fallen Angels (1995), which follows the lives of three separate
    1 | Hugh McLennan Memorial Scholarship 2010 , Wing-See Wu

    characters, each coping with rejection and alienation in different ways. The entire film is stylized, shot entirely with hand held cameras, colour-saturating filters, and an image-distorting wide-angle lens. In effect, it visually expresses the psychological distance between people within the congested space of the city, and presents a visceral experience of time through the erratic motions of the lens and of light.

    Other films such as ChungKing Express (1994) and in the Mood for Love (2000) rely heavily on the spaces their characters inhabit to move the plot forward. They incorporate many archetypal Hong Kong spaces, such as the market, the alley way, the compact apartment . The banal and brief interactions in these spaces develop relationships between the characters which drive the plot forward, and demonstrate that the characters inhabitation of space is as important to the storyline as the dialogue and other standard plot devices.

    PROPOSAL

    Using Wong Kar Wais films as a lens to guide my studies, I intend to travel to Hong Kong, and to neighbouring cities in Asia (which he is influenced by, and frequently films in--sometimes to simulate Hong Kong), to better understand the place, which exists both descriptively and psychologically in Wongs films. Whether this place I seek to explore is actually Hong Kong, or Wongs fetisization of Hong Kong, remains unclear and awaits to be discovered.

    2 | Hugh McLennan Memorial Scholarship 2010 , Wing-See Wu

    PREPARATION

    In preparation for the travel-study, I will watch, and research the following films from Wongs filmography (list subject to change):

    Days of Being Wild (1990) Chungking Express (1994) Fallen Angels (1995) In the Mood for Love (2000) 2046 (2004)

    I will also research Hong Kongs history, with a particular emphasis on the mid-twentieth century, which many of Wongs films are set in.

    Beyond specific identifying specific sites to visit, I am also interested in identifying and exploring themes and dichotomies that characterize Hong Kong, and are addressed in his films. The themes which I am particularly interested in include:

    -Multiculturalism and Language -Nostalgia vs. Future-Orientation -Change, Permanence and Perception of Time -Social alienation vs. Physical Density -Chaos and order -Decadence vs. derelict -The importance of Food in culture

    3 | Hugh McLennan Memorial Scholarship 2010 , Wing-See Wu

    METHOD OF REPORTING

    I intend to document my observations through sketches, written text, photography and film, all of which will be summarized in an exhibition at a later date. I am also interested in interviewing individuals who carry different perspectives (architects, film makers, the lay person) on Hong Kong, and the relationship between Wongs films and his portrayal of the region, and summarizing my observations perhaps in a video documentary or some other medium.

    4 | Hugh McLennan Memorial Scholarship 2010 , Wing-See Wu

    BUDGET
    FLIGHTS
    Departing Toronto Hong Kong Toyko Shanghai Singapore >> >> >> >> >> Arriving Hong Kong Toyko Shanghai Singapore Toronto Subtotal Cost (CAD$) $750.00 $350.00 $500.00 $300.00 $750.00 $2,660.00

    GENERAL TRAVEL EXPENSES


    Expense Meals Admission fees Transportation Accommodations $30 $15 $20 $60 # of days 34 34 34 34 Cost (CAD$) $1,020.00 $510.00 $680.00 $2,040.00

    Subtotal

    $4,250.00

    EXHIBITION
    Expense Cost (CAD$) $90.00 $500.00

    Travel to Montreal from Toronto Printing / Materials

    Subtotal Grand Total

    $600.00 $7,500.00

    5 | Hugh McLennan Memorial Scholarship 2010 , Wing-See Wu

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