Christopher Doyle looks to Kickstarter to fund his "Hong Kong Trilogy"
The award-winning cinematographer has begun a campaign on internet fundraising platform Kickstarter to get Hongkongers to support his latest film about three generations of Hong Kong. One segment, "Preoccupied," features the civil disobedience movement Umbrella Revolution.
Christopher Doyle, cinematographer and filmmaker best known for working with Wong Kar-wai on classics like "In the Mood for Love" (2000), is asking for US$100,000 to fund his latest project on Internet fundraising platform Kickstarter.
Titled "Hong Kong Trilogy," Doyle's latest production comprises of three short films, each devoted to children, young people and the middle aged of Hong Kong respectively. The first segment "Preschooled," a 30-minute feature on children growing up in Hong Kong, is commissioned by the Hong Kong International Film Festival and is already completed. It premiered last March, winning praises for mixing elements of documentary into the fictional narrative.
While filming the second part of the film about young people, the Umbrella movement broke out. Inspired by the campaign, Doyle named the part "Preoccupied" and will use it tell stories of people he met in the Admiralty encampment. "Preposterous," the final part of the film, is about people in their 50s or above.
Doyle launched a Kickstarter campaign as "there isn't much money in the film world" for experimental projects like this.
He also wanted to engage the viewers in the filmmaking process. Backers can win production updates, film props, a "Closer to Chris" DVD in which Doyle interacts with his alter ego Du Ke Feng, photographic journals and even drinks with the filmmaker. Learn more about the campaign here.
He hopes to raise the amount needed before February and complete the feature in time for the Hong Kong Independent Film Festival opening on March 23. As of writing, the campaign has received close to US$70,000 out of the $100,000 needed.