For advocates of 'indigenous Hong Kong culture', perhaps nothing illustrates the futility of promoting such a concept as the mainstay of our spiritual life than the vicissitudes of Hong Kong's film industry. Not that long ago, Hong Kong was one of the world's major film production centres. The success of our actors and directors in overseas markets and prestigious international film festivals bears testimony to the creativity and vibrancy of the industry. Yet there has not been an internationally acclaimed blockbuster for some time, and the industry is crying out for government support.
The root cause of the decline is the globalisation process which has dealt fatal blows to other sectors of Hong Kong's economy, prominently manufacturing. As global markets converge on big-budget, special-effects-laden mega movies with a star-studded cast, the allure of local movies catering to 'indigenous Hong Kong culture' is rapidly losing its lustre.
As for Hong Kong movie stars and film directors who have achieved international fame, note that Jackie Chan was marketed in the US as the Buster Keaton of Asia, the diminutive but agile action comedian of the silent age. Director John Woo's success was built on the international appeal of action movies with an Asian kung fu flair. By comparison, despite the best marketing efforts, the esoteric manga-like comedies of Hong Kong superstar Stephen Chow attracted no more than a handful of Asian movie aficionados, even in California. Wong Kar-wai's stylised emotional odyssey, 2046, fared no better.
The fact is that Hong Kong's 'indigenous culture' had little market appeal outside Hong Kong. The fortunes of Hong Kong movies and pop singers on the mainland tell the same story. As Cantonese is the mother tongue of southern China only, it has limited currency outside the area. All entertainers who go after China's enormous market know that the ability to speak or sing in Putonghua is the key. The decline of local movies about local life provides compelling evidence of the limited appeal of our 'indigenous culture' to the rest of the country, let alone the world.
Hongkongers who have lived on the mainland or in the west and understand how Hong Kong is perceived by the outside world know too well the folly of pushing 'indigenous culture' . First, we have to sort out among ourselves what Hong Kong's 'indigenous culture' and core values stand for. Second, it will be useful to know how the rest of the world perceives us.
Twenty years ago when I first studied in the US, Hong Kong was known to the average American as a maker of T-shirts. Now it is probably better known as the home of Jackie Chan. To travellers in the know, Hong Kong conjures up good food, good shopping and slick hotels. Hong Kong people will be surprised at how many Europeans or Americans outside the jet set cannot put their fingers on the correct geographical or political co-ordinates of Hong Kong. A flick through the monthly magazines of the Japanese Club in Hong Kong sends the same signals: page after page about the glorious food of Hong Kong!