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| May 2000 Independent movies A long and winding road By Elaine Tai RELATED ARTICLES: Box office. It’s a big term in the movie industry, always dominating the critics’ reviews. Some directors, however, want more. Independence, for example. “While directors of commercial movies always compromise with the box office and investors, independent filmmakers enjoy more freedom,” said Mr. Vincent Chui, external affairs officer of Ying E Chi. According to Mr. Chui, Ying E Chi is a non-profit organization formed in 1997 by a group of independent filmmakers. “Its mission is to unite local independent filmmakers and to promote and distribute Hong Kong Indies,” he said. “Indies” means independent movies. Being independent, filmmakers have full autonomy over their own productions. Mr. Chang Wai Hung is an independent filmmaker. “I want to express the way I look at this world, the way the world is changing,” said he. And, most importantly, “being true to myself,” said he. “Filmmaking is more than an industry and a business. You cannot betray yourself.” However, he thinks that being a filmmaker is trickier than being a painter: “Being an artist, despite others’ criticisms, one can still freely choose the colours he likes. “But filmmaking is different. A production involves a lot of people,” he said. “I love to create,” he added. “I represent all artists on the globe to say: They all have a sense of satisfaction. It is very important. It’s not about figures.” He said he wants to “free” the characters in his movies. Following the debut of his After the Crescent, his second movie, Among the Stars, again focuses on the uncertainty of love and traces the lives of the brokenhearted. “I want to free people from their original identities,” said Mr. Chang. According to him, communication and understanding between human depends on hearts, but not by identities. Continued he: “In Among the Stars, I want to talk about being young. But some young people lose the gift of being young. My story showed how they get it back.” Movies may have the magic of liberating the characters, but the problem of budgets traps directors in reality. “Financial support from the Arts Development Council is very limited,” said Mr. Vincent Chui, who is also an independent filmmaker. Continued he: “Though there is enough for movie production, it hardly supports my living.” He said it is difficult to turn independent filmmaking into a career. However, Mr. Chang is optimistic. “The budget can never be enough,” he said. “If I am worried about it, I can’t shoot my movie.” Instead of the budget, he is most concerned his relationship with the audience. Communication, he said, is the key to a good relationship with the audience. “If the audience is touched by my shots, communication is achieved,” he said. “Otherwise, there is no communication.” Figuring out the tastes of the target audience is not easy. According to Mr. Chui, the passive viewing behaviour of Hong Kong audiences frustrates independent filmmakers most. Every year, the Hong Kong International Film Festival draws audiences to the Indies, but the audience is small and irregular on normal days. Despite this, he has confidence in the improvement of Indies. “The audience size has been increasing in the past few years, though the pace is slow,” Mr. Chui said. “For example, our Third Annual Screening of Hong Kong Independent Films achieved a higher standard when compared with those in the past,” he said. “It showed some of the best independent films and short releases in the past year,” According to Mr. Kwok Wai Hung, another Indies director, the channels of expression are still limited. Said he: “The channels for promoting and distributing Indies are very limited in Hong Kong. “In Hong Kong, few cinemas show Indies. The audience hardly recognizes Indies filmmakers,” he said. The budget for promotion is another problem. Said Mr. Kwok: “We can’t afford paying for promotion, since the budget is enough for production only.” In view of this, Ying E Chi tries its best to help local independent filmmakers. “We provide free services in promotion and distribution. We hope the filmmakers can do better with their production,” he said. With tight budgets, great promotion expenses and limited channels for distribution, independent filmmakers’ road to success is long and winding. |
(Courtesy of Mr. Chang Wai Hung)
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