I just watched my first Wong Kar-wai film not too long ago. His name is occasionally mentioned in and out of conversations with my friends and family. Whenever I talk about Wong Kar-wai, I never know if I should break my English sentence abruptly with a Cantonese pronunciation or say it with an English accent. Usually, I can not decide by the time the thought becomes verbalized and it ends up becoming a mush of the two.
I watched Chungking Express (1994) and Fallen Angels (1995)— both left me in a state of awe. Wong’s storytelling underscores how everything and everyone is related to some degree; the characters lead vastly differing lifestyles, but there is always a common thread that intertwines them all together and beautifully forms this elaborate web of people. We could be so similar in so many ways and connected through various means and just not know… If only our lives were flushed out and carefully told through Wong’s lens, world peace would probably be accomplished by now!
I was drowned in a tidal wave of nostalgia after watching those two films!! Wong’s cinematography feels like a reverie and depicts Hong Kong as a land between reality and fiction. I spent my early childhood years in Hong Kong, going back now and then, and my memories of this place is like the bathroom mirror after a hot shower— all clouded up. As a child, I remember detesting the neon signs all around Hong Kong; I thought they were tacky and so harsh on the eye. Revisiting these places through the films made me long to be back in that familiar space, as a kid again, but with a more fond attitude. Now looking at it, I feel like the bright lights interact with the urban city creates even more of a dreamscape. (Thoughts on walking around this street tonight in my dreams … )
I remember my grandpa walking me to preschool, the humid summers, driving up a mountain, and getting yummy tofu pudding with my mom and dad. While writing this, I realize my memories of Hong Kong feel like a drawer of miscellaneous things: it needs to be more cohesive. Also, my friend Natalie often tells me about Hong Kong— a beach she discovered, her favorite vintage store, and the cats in her neighborhood. I adore hearing her stories!! I am currently living through the recollections of my own and others. I wish upon every star I could go back and experience everything with my own two eyes soon !!
But for now, I am satiating my desires through other’s experiences. It is so fun seeing familiar places appear in the media I consume! It is silly to say but it reassures me my memories are not made up in my head. Perhaps this is confirmation bias at its peak. It is the antithesis of George Orwell’s 1984; I am not being manipulated into thinking my memories are fake. Yay! Also, it is fun to see how other people view and experience the city.
Cheers to being uncontrollably sentimental!! 🥂🥂
i think kevita kombucha is the best. not their lemonade though. i had it at the airport today and felt like literal battery acid going down my throat
I relate so much to this article- I also thought that the neon signs were a bit tacky as a child but the way they are depicted in WKW’s work makes them seem so beautiful and dream-like. hopefully we can spend some time together in HK and create new memories together :)