Many Malaysians disgruntled with the state of affairs in the country harbour dreams of emigrating to other countries. Meanwhile, those abroad often reminisce about the good times they’ve had here.
Whether or not the grass is actually greener on the other side, one can’t deny that the old adage “home is where the heart is” contains more than an ounce of truth, and is a theme exemplified in “Septet: The Story of Hong Kong”.
Made up of seven short films by renowned Hong Kong directors, the anthology – which premiered at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival – exudes heart and soul, and is akin to a visual love song to the region.
Set in the 1950s onwards, “Septet” runs for 114 minutes and is shot entirely on 35mm film instead of digital cameras to complement the nostalgic mood of the movie.
Directed by Sammo Hung, the first short, “Exercise”, is set in a martial-arts training school. Overseen by a strict, no-nonsense master, the kids undergo rigorous training, which clearly pays off when they execute graceful backflips and flying kicks.
This film, which will leave you in awe of their martial-arts capabilities and just might inspire you to enrol in a course, is inspired by Hung’s own childhood memories.
“Headmaster”, the second short by Ann Hui, shows snippets of life in a school environment. In the future, the former students and headmaster reunite and reminisce about good and bad times.
The film culminates with the headmaster’s visit to the grave of a kindly teacher, demonstrating how one’s deeds can be remembered long after death.
The third movie, “Tender is the Night”, is directed by Patrick Tam and features two high school sweethearts from different social classes, forced to part when the girl’s parents decide to emigrate to England in the hope of providing a better future for their child.
The forlorn lovers navigate troubled emotions as they spend what seems to be their last day and night together. Affecting, poignant and heartbreaking, this film will definitely bring tears to anyone who has been forced to part ways with a lover.
Directed by Woo-Ping Yuen, the fourth short, “Homecoming”, is a precious, heartwarming story about a fiercely independent old man who hosts his granddaughter from Canada.
Although the two are polar opposites in terms of age, culture and upbringing – he watches wuxia or martial-arts films daily and can’t do without his traditional rice rolls, while she is a westernised, hamburger-eating third-generation child – they soon form a beautiful bond.
He teaches her self-defence moves, while she gives him English lessons in the hope of convincing him to emigrate to Canada. But he decides to stay put as everything he has ever loved and lost has taken place in Hong Kong.
By the end, his family returns to Hong Kong to care for him as he enters his twilight years.
The fifth film, “Bonanza”, directed by Johnnie To, is about three friends who dream of getting rich quickly by dabbling in stocks and purchasing property.
This dark comedy takes place during the dotcom bubble and SARS outbreak of the early 2000s, and depicts how people were overtaken by greed in their dreams of making it big.
Up next is “Astray” by Ringo Lam, which features a family of Hong Kong emigrants visiting their motherland. Although confounded by all the changes that have taken place, the husband becomes consumed with sentimentality and nostalgia upon revisiting the childhood home built by his late father.
He tries to make sense of it all by contemplating the past, present and future, and comes to the conclusion that “it’s not hard to live happily” – even though, alas, fate has other plans for him.
The final short, “Conversation in Depth” by Hark Tsui, features a patient and a doctor in a mental asylum. Halfway through the story, their roles are switched, and one can no longer tell the patient and doctor apart.
Although rendered comically, one can’t help but think of the message being conveyed: perhaps, people are not as insane, or sane, as they’d like to think.
All in all, even if they have no ties with Hong Kong, viewers are likely to enjoy this anthology. And whether it’s the place you grew up in or another country you’ve grown to love, you will likely leave the cinema pondering if your heart truly is at home.
‘Septet: The Story of Hong Kong’ is playing in selected cinemas.