兵來將擋

本來以為開始影片工作後會有很多東西可以寫上這個blog,事實上自從十一月中開始籌備後發生了很多事，也認識了很多人，而過程中亦有很多問題發生。但這些事過了便過了，好像不值得再提。比如現在面對一些人事問題，casting沒完全做好，而開拍日迫在眉截，但我深信終可解決到，總之兵來將擋。去到最後最重要的是片子拍得好不好，五十年後誰也不會關心發生過這些事。

I found Jimmy Kwok

Through the magic of the Internet, I finally found the legendary Jimmy Kwok. Turns out there's a fan site devoted to his voice dubbing work on TVB, voicing such classic animated series as《聖鬥士星矢》、《櫻桃小丸子》、《美少女戰士》. That site listed his current email address, and by sheer coincidence he was actually on his way to Hong Kong when I wrote to him. So we finally met on the top floor of the Four Seasons Hote yesterday. He hadn't lost his sense of humour, but he seemed to be at a crossroad in his life. He had decided not to pursue a master's degree in social work, but found it difficult to find a good job with his current degree. I asked him whether he still wanted to do theatre, and he told me that it had always been a hobby rather than a career for him, a way to party with his friends. He was pondering a move back to Hong Kong, but his boyfriend's architectural career was already well established in New York. As night began to fall outside, I sensed a certain frustration in his voice, perhaps even bitterness. I hope things work out for him. He should come back and do more voice-over work and re-launch Jimmy's Corner Theatre Company. His fans miss him!

Home Song Stories

最近陳沖在金馬獎獲最佳女主角的影片 Home Song Stories,是澳洲片，導演是華人導演Tony Ayers. 九年前我隨短片《史丹利》跑影展時已留意到Tony的第一部自傳式紀錄片China Dolls. 取材自他作為同志華人在澳洲的成長經驗，拍攝風格有異一般紀錄片，以形式化的手法重現他的過去，幽默又具創意。後來我把China Dolls跟幾個半唐番同志短片包括我的《史丹利》、Raymond Yeung的Yellow Fever和Quentin Lee的 Fall 1990 結集成VCD,叫「4X香蕉同志」，封面取自Tony的短片 (順帶一提，「4X香蕉同志」在影意志的網頁有售！) 洽談短片版權時一直與版權持有人，即澳洲電影局聯絡，一直到幾年後Tony的首部長片 Walking on Water 在香港國際電影節播映時才有機會跟他見面。Walking on Water的故事圍繞著一個愛滋病患者的家人和朋友，在他死後怎樣面對他的死亡，拍得真摯感人。我記得當時他跟他當副導的男友一起出席放映後的討論會，事後跟他們談到澳洲電影工業的狀況時，他男友說Tony現在在澳洲已頗具盛名，不愁資金開戲。

果然他下一部作品Home Song Stories的製作規模更大，請來陳沖當主角，重現60年代的澳洲。影片取材自他自己的家庭和童年，說一個在上海的夜總會當歌手的母親，下嫁澳洲水手後帶同兒子和女兒到彼邦生活的故事。此片除了為陳沖取得金馬獎最佳女主角外，Tony的劇本也為他在澳洲的Australian Film Institute Awards中奪得最佳劇本獎。

Jimmy Kwok

Spent most of the day trying to track down Jimmy Kwok on the Internet. Turns out he's living in New York City, had just completed a BA at CUNY, majoring in theatre arts and psychology. From the picture, it looks like he's eating a lot of nourishing American food and not going to the gym much, probably because he spent his time studying, for while at CUNY he won a string of academic honours and scholarships, and even found time to write an English play called "Longing". After receiving his BA, he was accepted into graduate programs at NYU, Columbia and Hunter College. But the trail turns cold after 2006, so I have no idea where he ended up going. Does anyone know?

畢業禮

某留言版有這個留言:

雖然我唔係讀中大, 但我一直對CU既印象都唔錯既
但自從有班不知所謂既學生搞埋D變態學生報...
今日又整單咁既野....
讀左咁多年書, 尊重場合連小學生都識la, 仲有D學生著住袍黎拉banner, 好以D陀地咁
講真, 黑社會喊打喊殺, 講拳頭, 你唔怪得佢, 因為佢地個background係咁, D norms係咁
但係大學生搞到好以D爛仔咁, 無論背後有咩理由都唔可以接受!
點解中大會收左D咁既人??...我知CU仲有大部分既學生係識是非黑白, 而唔係只識得搏出位既, 不過好可惜, 已經因為一D不知所謂既人而受到影響
頭先有線新聞影到有人好傷心咁同D示威人士理論, 我睇到個心都好唔舒服
難委0個個什麼發言人仲好意思話"荒謬", 唔知佢地居心可在, 搞到大家咁唔高興, 畢業生一生人一次既畢業禮(尤其是拎第一個DEGREE既人)蒙上污點, 呢D唔係"荒謬", 係"合理"嗎?
一句SORRY可以大晒! 個儀式俾D人ruin左, 咁又點計....?

但畢業禮的意義是什麼?念大學的目的又是什麼?
我今天沒有去畢業禮,只能在這裡對那些學生說: I'm proud of you. I'm proud to be a CU graduate.