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Magnificent models of classical film sets including the multi-storey airport in Steven Spielberg﷿s 䩕The Terminal蒅, the grand opera house in Leslie Cheung﷿s 䩕The Phantom Lover蒅, the labyrinth-like monastery in Sean Connery﷿s 䩕The Name of the Rose蒅 and 䩕Pig Sty Alley蒅 in Stephen Chow﷿s 䩕Kung Fu Hustle蒅 are on display at the 䩕Moving Spaces蒅 exhibition.
The 䩕Moving Spaces蒅 exhibition, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Hongkong, is running at the Exhibition Hall of the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) from today (December 9) until March 18, 2007. Admission is free.
Some of the exhibits are on loan from the Deutsche Kinemathek ﷿ Museum for Film and Television in Berlin. The exhibition showcases archival objects, impressive footages, drawings, sketches and film set models imported worldwide and some created locally based on classic scenes in Hong Kong Films.
Officiating at today﷿s opening ceremony were the Chief Exhibition Co-ordinator of Deutsche Kinemathek ﷿ Museum for Film and Television, Mr Peter M?nz; the Director of the Goethe-Institut Hong Kong, Mr Michael M䏳ller-Verweyen and the Chief Manager (Film & Cultural Exchange) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Mr Albert Lee.
Filmic spaces are moving spaces, setting the framework for the movement on the actor and demarcating his radius of action. The production sets with props, accessories and scene space help set the various moods of different scenes. The set design of filmic spaces creates an artificial world which is often more 䩕real蒅 than reality.
The exhibition features five different spatial production design concepts 䩕transit spaces蒅, 䩕stages蒅, 䩕spaces of power蒅, 䩕labyrinths蒅 and 䩕private spaces蒅, which not only create visual spaces but also help generate the dramaturgy of a film.
One encounters transit spaces when moving from one place to another like streets, department stores, and public transports. Transit spaces as film settings are difficult to photograph in real locations. Gigantic and self-contained sets are therefore constructed such as the delightful urban fantasy airport set in 䩕The Terminal蒅 (2004) with real escalators, brand name shops and restaurants. It becomes the temporary home of Tom Hanks, where he makes new friends and finds romance while being trapped in the terminal.
Stages provide a look behind the scenes. The intermediate space between reality and illusion becomes visible. The old Shanghai 䩕Pig Sty Alley蒅 in 䩕Kung Fu Hustle蒅 (2004) which houses many weird households brings together images and icons from martial arts cinema old and new. In 䩕Phantom Lover蒅, the Gothic grand opera and its staircase enhances the dramaturgical intensity of the stage in the film.
Filmic spaces of power portray control and power relations. It is often characterised by heavy furniture, cool surfaces and large panorama windows. With dark chamber and circular fluorescent-tube light, the classic 䩕war room蒅 in 䩕Stanley Kubrick﷿s 䩕Dr. Strangelove蒅 (1964) is a monument of control. Li Han-Hsiang﷿s 䩕The Empress Dowager蒅 (1975) radiates 䩕power蒅 through the 䩕prestige蒅 set of the palace, authentic props and costumes.
Labyrinths appear primarily to be psychological spaces. Tracking shots and cutting create bewildering space with sensations of fear and helplessness. Production designer Dante Ferretti in 䩕The Name of the Rose蒅 (1986) constructed a labyrinth-like library based on prints of M.C. Escher to symbolise power and confusion. In the local film 䩕92 The legendary La Rose Noire蒅 (1992), mechanical traps, secret labyrinths of passageways and sing-song romantic interludes were employed to create local audience﷿s collective memories.
Private spaces tell more about the occupants and small details of furnishings reveal their personal preferences or hidden conflicts. Konrad Wolf﷿s 䩕Solo Sunny蒅 (1980) has impressive interiors that characterise Sunny﷿s longings and aspirations. Wong Kar-wai﷿s 䩕Days of Being Wild蒅 (1990) recreates exemplary private spaces of the 1960s Hong Kong.
To complement the exhibition, two seminars will be held at the Cinema of HKFA. 䩕Creation of Filmic Spaces蒅 is at 4.30pm on January 13, 2007, and 䩕Space and Mood in Production Design蒅 at 4.30pm on January 27, 2007. Both seminars will be conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free.
In addition, 10 films on the five concepts are screened from today to January 27, 2007 at the Cinema of the HKFA. They are 䩕The Phantom Lover蒅, 䩕Kung Fu Hustle蒅, 䩕Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb蒅, 䩕The Empress Dowager蒅, 䩕The Terminal蒅, 䩕Sunrise蒅, 䩕Solo Sunny蒅, 䩕Red Rose White Rose蒅, 䩕The Name of the Rose蒅 and 䩕92 The Legendary La Rose Noire蒅.
All films are either in English or with English subtitles.
Tickets priced at $40 are available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Reservations can be made by phone on 2734 9009, credit card telephone booking on 2111 5999 or on the internet at www.urbtix.hk.
Detailed programme information is available in the 䩕ProFolio 34蒅 distributed at all performing venues of the LCSD or call 2734 2900, 2739 2139 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp or www.filmarchive.gov.hk.
Ends/Saturday, December 9, 2006
Issued at HKT 20:49
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