Author: Heng SiuPublisher: Open Dissertation Press
ISBN: 9781374726857
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
This dissertation, "The Representation of Hong Kong Identity in Fruit Chan's Films" by Heng, Siu, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract Fruit Chan's three films which are set in 1997, namely Made in Hong Kong, The Longest Summer and Little Cheung provide rich texts for discussions on the issues related to the Hong Kong identity. These three films feature a number of characters which are marginalised in the Hong Kong society. They feel being deserted by the mainstream society, and the mainstream wants to expel them from Hong Kong as well. There exists, however, an inter‐dependent relationship between them. The dynamics in expelling and including these marginal characters must not be ignored in the examination of Hong Kong identity. Julia Kristeva's theory of abjection illuminates the understanding of their identities in such a situation of marginalisation. Waste matters, the most prominent abject in Kristeva's theory, appear in Fruit Chan's films like a motif. They can be read as metaphors to the situation of the marginalised characters, and so can the abject spaces. Space in the films can also be read as an arena where marginalisation takes place. Constant negotiation and struggle between the marginal and the centre in this space complicates the characters' identities. Complexities in nationality are added to their confusion over identities, for they want to expel and are being expelled by both the British and Chinese identities at a moment when Hong Kong is being returned from Britain to China. DOI: 10.5353/th_b2994910
