UK based annual film festival Odyssey 2024 is coming, and this year’s theme continues to be innovative – “ food and travel.” To explore the relationship between this concept and films, we must talk about Hong Kong.
Tea life, unlimited stories
Hong Kong cinema is the pioneer for sublimating the artistic value of two popular concepts: food and travel, while keeping its relevance and connection with popular culture. The influence of this “food in cinema new wave” lingers until today, and it has even transcended borders.
In New Dragon Inn, all martial masters gathered at this little rural canteen, crouching tiger, hidden dragon. Every time when “guests arrive”, a new round of push hand is expected.
In From Beijing with Love, he is not an ordinary “pork guy” (butcher), he is the Made in China James Bond, and his knife skills are unrivalled, even though it is a pork knife. He is a common hero.
In Infernal Affairs, Hon Sam’s scene can be said to be a classic. In Cantonese culture, holding chopsticks is an art form in itself. In this scene, Eric Tsang was acting and participating in the scene even while holding chopsticks.
Cultural theorist Raymond Williams once pointed out that culture is the sum of the lifestyles of a group of people. These different lifestyles are intertwined to form a unique cultural atmosphere of the city. As a multicultural city, Hong Kong’s unique charm is reflected in various daily lifestyles, and Hong Kong-style milk tea is the most representative symbol.
British tea with milk originated in the 19th century. Hong Kong people have continued to innovate in the selection of tea leaves, brewing methods and the concentration of milk tea, and have evolved into “silk stocking milk tea” with a unique taste and unique flavour. This tea drink not only combines the essence of Eastern and Western cultures, but also embodies Hong Kong’s innovative spirit and local characteristics. As a specialty drink of Hong Kong, Hong Kong-style milk tea frequently appears in movie scenes and has become a cultural symbol of Hong Kong. Those tea restaurants and ice houses full of market atmosphere are not only the daily life of citizens.
Important scenes are also the stage for many movie narratives, vividly showing the city’s unique style and lifestyle.
Hong Kong’s tolerance and diversity are not only reflected in its food culture, but also in its racial composition. According to statistics, one in every ten people in Hong Kong is non-Chinese. In the movie Chungking Express, the exotic Chungking Mansions gathers immigrants from all over the world, including Filipino servants, Indian vendors, and Nepalese security guards, presenting a microcosm of Hong Kong itself as an international hub.
Temple Street, the filming location for many films such as The New Love starring Sean Lau and Anita Yuen, and The God of Cookery directed by Stephen Chow, is itself one of the gathering points where different cultures intersect.
From traditional Cantonese snacks to South Asian-style curry, Indian naan, Southeast Asian satay and Vietnamese noodles, both local residents and tourists from all over the world can find food here that suits their tastes and experience different cultures, fusion and collision.
Cultural Confluence, Cinematic Fusion
Hong Kong’s unique historical background and multicultural integration have laid the foundation for the development of the Hong Kong film industry. From the cultural influence of the British colonial period, to the integration of traditional Chinese culture, to the diversity brought about by transnational immigration, these factors have jointly shaped the unique style and charm of Hong Kong movies. Hong Kong films not only reflect the changes in local society, but also demonstrate Hong Kong’s unique position in the global film industry through international perspective and cross-cultural dialogue.
Hong Kong, Re-connection
“From 2021 to 2024,
Our story with Hong Kong still cannot be told enough. ”
Odyssey’s relationship with this city began in a challenging year. When the global epidemic is raging, with our love for Hong Kong cinema, we joined forces with Trinity CineAsia and Filming East to present the inaugural Chinese Cinema Season (now renamed as Odyssey).
We initiated and led a special session called “Hong Kong, Reimagined” by screening a series of films that have not been widely distributed in the UK, we encouraged the audience to engage in diverse discussions and demonstrate the cultural conflicts that Hong Kong films have faced and resolved in different historical periods.
In 2022, outside of our annual film festival, we continued to promote Hong Kong film culture. We hosted events such as the UK premiere of Septet and “Heroic Missions: Johnnie To Retrospective”. We have gradually become a new driving force for promoting Hong Kong films in the UK. At the same time, we are also looking forward to new creations and industry transformation of Hong Kong movies to attract more international audiences.
In Odyssey 2023, in order to pay tribute to the common hero (Stephen Chow), we specially made efforts to host the UK’s first “Stephen Chow Filmmaker in Focus” screening session during the film festival. It was warmly welcomed by British fans, and some viewers even burst into tears because they had never been in this before. I’ve seen Stephen’s films on the big screen.
While Hong Kong films shine on the screen, they also leave a deep mark in our hearts. In March 2023, our Founder attended FILMART which was held offline for the first time after the epidemic, re-establishing valuable connections with the Hong Kong film industry.
In 2024, UCFC member Ketong Ou attended the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival as invited international media guests, and once again experienced the city’s unique cultural atmosphere and endless creative inspiration.
This year, therefore we are honoured to announce that Hong Kong is the City for Food and Travel of Odyssey 2024.
As the theme of this year’s 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival “A Portal to Another World” reveals, we hope to open a door through movies to allow audiences to explore movies from different regions and cultures. And exchange ideas with global filmmakers, expand their horizons, and break the boundaries of cognition and imagination. This year, Odyssey is no longer limited to Chinese-language movies or movies from a specific region, but uses the theme of “Food and Travel” to show how food culture and travel can become part of the narrative in movies and become the charm of cross-cultural dialogue. Hong Kong not only enjoys a high reputation in the film industry, but its status as a cultural capital is also very dazzling.
Whether it’s drama, dance, pop music or traditional opera, Hong Kong is a crossroads for Eastern and Western performing arts. There are more than 1,000 arts groups in Hong Kong, which perform more than 8,000 performances every year, attracting more than 3 million audiences. The Hong Kong Arts Festival, which began in 1973, is one of the most important international arts festivals in Asia, bringing together top artists and groups from around the world, with performances including music, dance, opera and drama. The 52nd Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2024 has planned more than 150 performances, attracting about 1,400 international and local artists.
This series of initiatives and policies not only demonstrates Hong Kong’s continued progress in the field of culture and art, but also provides strong support for its film industry and broader creative industries.
This series of initiatives and policies not only demonstrates Hong Kong’s continued progress in the field of culture and art, but also provides strong support for its film industry and broader creative industries. We believe that by displaying the city’s rich food culture and stories about travel and migration, we can bring a new perspective to this year’s curatorial theme.
The official programme of Odyssey 2024 will be announced in the near future, and more exciting works will be displayed.
Stay tuned!
ABOUT ODYSSEY 2024
Cinema is where people connect.
60+ films, masterclasses, discussion panels and exclusive Q&As.
Odyssey is the biggest annual film festival in the UK, engaging with Greater China and Chinese communities worldwide.
The theme for 2024 is “Food and Travel”
Presented by UK-China Film Collab (UCFC)
Festival Date: 16 Sep – 16 Oct 2024
Format: Across UK cinemas and Online
Festival Website: odysseychinesecinema.uk
Instagram & Twitter Handle: @odysseyccs
Hashtags: #odysseyfilmfest #foodandtravel #foodporn #peace
Supported By
