神話的幻滅

最近去了一趟北京，天氣太冷不大想外出，晚上的娛樂是看些買了好幾年但沒機會看的DVD。其中一隻是楊德昌的《一一》，記得是十多年前在藝術中心看的，當時覺得是楊繼枯嶺街之後一部技巧成熟的傑作，但這一次看卻完全不是那回事。

電影的首兩個小時沒有太多東西發生，但人物生動富生活感，算得上有趣好看，但過了第二個小時明顯地想 tie up loose ends，斧斫之痕太深，完全破壞了首段營造的平淡氣氛。尤其是女兒和小男友的約會跟父親與舊情人在日本重聚那段，用平衡剪接對照父女兩代的感情發展。女兒那段她與男友看完演奏會後到酒店開房，進房後兩人隔著三米的距離無言互望，然後男友說一聲”這樣子不對”便奪門而逃，實在太超乎常理。另一邊廂父親與舊女友到日本海邊旅遊，晚上女人向父親投懷送抱但他坐懷不亂，總算情有可原，但第二天回到東京後父親對女友說他沒有再愛過第二個，她的反應竟然是關上門獨個兒痛哭然後即晚退房，而一天之前她還對他說要離婚跟現任丈夫離婚和他重新開始！最要命的是父親之後還對老婆說什麼”給我機會做多一次，我還是這樣做”--天呀，這是編劇的安排多於是角色的反省，因為女友跑掉是他意料之外，怎會說成是他自己的選擇！若角色真的這樣想未免太無賴了(但效果反而可能更有趣，比現在這個整天苦口苦臉的”正人君子”有血有肉。) 另一敗筆是女兒的小男友突然變成殺人狂魔，很找戲來做，像是導演reference 自己的枯嶺街，但效果完全失實和沒有說服力。想不到這一次本想緬懷大師，卻變成一個神話的幻滅。

關淑怡

買了關淑怡的新碟Shirley’s Era, 特別喜歡《地盡頭》這首歌，歌詞大概說一個失戀的人到外地旅遊散心，從中領會到自己不會放棄對愛情的追求，其中幾句：”誰讓我的生涯天涯極苦悶，開過天堂幻彩的大門，我都堅持追尋命中的一半，強硬到自滿”寫得很好。但林夕這首歌詞卻敗筆甚多，像”流浪到地中海終會蝶泳”就十分無厘頭，另一段”來讓我任性這情人節即興，獨個攀塔尖不必等背影”，意思是說獨個兒旅遊的灑脫，但什麼是”等背影”？既然是背影那個人已走在前面，又何用等？另一句”只要前度誇獎灑脫，忘掉根本生又何歡”，用”前度”代表前度男友未免太夾硬了吧，還有”心似刀割總算醒覺，聖地難閉幕”，若意思是醒覺到自己的愛情路不會在這次獨遊中結束的話，就簡直不知所謂。

關淑怡本身也是一個充滿遺憾的女歌手，最紅的時候突然不與寶麗金續約，幾年後跑到臺灣出了一隻超高水準的《冷火》，但promotion做得很差，這張 Shirley’s Era是她十四年來第一張廣東碟，但十首歌風格雜亂，有新有舊有remix有電視劇主題曲甚至有K歌，整體都是跟《地盡頭》一樣有佳句無佳篇。

Dubai Nobu

最近去了杜拜一趟，全程68小時，其中十幾小時坐在飛機上，其餘不是睡覺便是在酒店會議廳聽人開會，沒有自由時間，感覺像坐監，再加上不斷想著某人，更加辛苦。

有一晚開完一整天會後去了Palm Island 的商場，的士經過一排排十室九空的豪宅，像鬼城，幸好商場人流不錯。我們在Nobu吃飯，這一餐比較印像深的菜色有yellow tail with jalapeno pepper, 薄薄的yellowtail shashimi加上醬汁和一小片辣辣的jalapeno pepper，很開胃。另外招牌菜black cod with miso，吃進去味道很熟悉，原來在加拿大拍《只愛陌生人》時常常在家弄，做法超簡單：用甜米酒mirin加sake加白麵鼓醬醃魚塊一晚，也不用太理會份量，反正把魚完全浸在醬汁中，第二天淋少量醃汁在魚上放進焗爐焗七至十分鐘便可以。最後有澳洲Wagyu牛肉，不過我最感興趣是旁邊那pat 薯蓉，creamy中有輕輕的wasabi味，配搭得剛剛好不太「陋」，我幾乎一個人包辦了整pat。

曾幾何時很不屑這種fine dining,覺得憑什麼吃一頓飯等於很多國內同胞一個月的薪金，太折福。長大後看開了點，一來不是真的那麼貴，而且反正這些人不吃這一頓也不會把錢捐出來，又或者他們同時豪吃又幫助很多窮人也說不定！

《阮玲玉》和《胭脂扣》

有一晚與關錦鵬吃飯，席間有陳自強。他們兩人相識多年，也合作過多部電影。他們談起拍《阮玲玉》和《胭脂扣》時發生的趣事，我覺得頗值得寫下來，不是因為八卦或炫耀，而是兩片都已成經典，這些事情是香港電影史的一部分，是屬於大眾的。

阿關說拍《阮玲玉》最辛苦的一場，schedule連續拍36小時，大家困在一個密封的影廠，室外氣溫三十多度，裡面更加熱得像焗桑拿，導演穿著背心已大 汗淋漓，演員穿著戲服更辛苦，旗袍不足幾分鐘便被濕透，要用風筒吹乾。這場戲演員眾多，他們都快受不了。其中四位主要演員：張曼玉、梁家輝、葉童和吳啟華 當時都是陳自強旗下藝人，他們對阿關說：「我打電話給陳自強叫他容許我們分三天拍吧，老豆疼我們，一定會答應。」於是這些大名星輪流打給陳自強說項，但都碰釘子，被他一一回絕。原來何冠昌早已下令：一毛錢也不再給，陳自強也只得硬起心腸。最後他們只得硬著頭皮熬下去。多年之後，葉童有一次跟陳自強吃飯，談起拍電影的苦樂，也提起這場戲，但她早已忘記誰是這部電影的監製，還駡這部片的監製多沒人性，陳自強說：「我就是那個監製呀！」

我猜：「是舞會那場吧。」阿關點頭。我忍不住問，「張曼玉的那個波浪舞是怎麼想出來的？」「是我教她跳的。」阿關拍戲甚少示範動作，這場戲有交際舞老師，但曼玉總是跳得很僵硬，於是阿關現場示範，她馬上明白：「這隻舞要有點暗姣。」這場戲她在公眾場合和吳啓華flirt，要的正是一種又camp又姣的嫵媚，要基佬先get得到那種神韻。

《胭脂扣》的監製是成龍，但他看毛片時竟睡著了，之後還打算把電影重剪和補拍，把小說中一些神怪的情節拍出來。阿關得知此事，氣沖沖跑到剪接室，果然見到剪接師在剪他的作品，成龍站在後面發施號令。阿關指著成龍大喝：「你不能這樣做！」然後一個轉身離去，走到廁所痛哭！之後他打電話給陳自強說：「Willie，是你找我來拍這部電影的，若你容許他們補拍一場戲或剪掉一格菲林，便請把我導演的名字除去。」陳自強不知跟成龍說了甚麼，但這時金馬獎提名公佈，《胭脂扣》獲十項提名，於是重拍的事情便擱下，結果這部電影贏得最佳攝影和最佳女主角兩個金馬獎，之後在87年1月乘勢推出，票房一千八百多萬，是至令為止阿關最賣座的電影。後來何冠昌對阿關說，「若我們補拍和重剪，票房可能更多！」

This is it?

I have no idea why people rave about this film so much, as if they've never seen MJ in action before. Don't get me wrong. This is it proves once and for all that MJ's talent was massive and undeniable, and at 50 years old, he still had it. His moves were still sharp and his voice was beautiful. But it's nothing we haven't seen or heard before. His dance moves are exactly the same as in his hayday--the spins, the pelvic thrust, the moonwalk, the sideway sweeps, even the choreography to particular songs are the same. The 'new' visual elements are based on concepts from the old videos--Thriller is still set in a graveyard, except with different ghouls, and Smooth Criminal is still Chicagoland of the 1920s, just with a different set. The only part of the film I found moving was I'll be There because no one could sing this much-covered song like him--even though that whole shtick: calling out the names of his brothers, flashing old images of the Jackson 5 on screen, has also been done before at his previous concerts.

I wish we could have seen a personal side of MJ, but he remained elusive, as he had been throughout his career (except for a few awful, embarrassing moments in that BBC documentary ). His interactions with all the people working on the concert--musicians, dancers, the director, are distant and one-sided, with everyone bending over backwards to cater to his wishes. Did they bitch about him when he showed up hours late at rehearsals? Did they marvel at his surgically-abused face? Most of all, I want to know if MJ knew the O2 shows will never happen, that this is the final record of him that he leaves to the world, would he have done it differently?

園藝101

最近其中一棵植物有蟲患，有些橙色的小蟲吐了絲，在絲網中爬行，植物便變黃、慢慢枯死。打電話給曉蕾求救，她教我用蒜頭水噴在植物上。我把蒜頭放在噴壺，但蒜頭碎塞在水管中，水噴不出來，於是唯有照「頭」淋。如是者做了兩天，好像有些起色，要再觀察一天。

When you believe

I've been listening to this song a lot lately, probably because I'm waiting for a miracle in my life. I know of three versions of this song: the original by Mariah and Whitney, while American Idol winner David Archuleta and X-Factor winner Leon Jackson both covered it on their debut albums after performing it on their respective shows. It's easy to see why the song gets sung at talent shows, not only because of its lyrics about believing in miracles, but also because it offers great opportunity to show off vocal skills.

For some reason Leon Jackon's version toned down the theistic nature of the song, and even has a verse that says "If we dare to dare, don't wait for answers from the skies." For me, I think miracles with a small "m" can happen if you prayed. Not sure about big cataclysmic miracles that break the laws of nature, but every day miracles, like finding love against all probability. There can be miracles when you believe.

偽善才是恥

OMG! 明報報導CNN有關援交的古仔，竟有人反過來說是香港之恥(而不是CNN之恥)，as if 其他地方沒有人賣淫，又或者性工作是奇恥大辱。

以身體掙錢何恥之有？少女能通過援交擺脫父母的控制，找到自主，是充滿尊嚴的好事，而某些人因為外國傳媒報導而覺得「家醜外傳」，是百份百的偽善，這才是香港之恥。

Get thee to the nunnery

Today the CNN website published a sermon masquerading as news story on "compensated dating". It erroneously stated that "Prostitution is illegal in Hong Kong", even when the legal expert interviewed said that "the law prohibits soliciting for immoral purpose." This heavily moralistic story centres on a former prostitute who now washes hair at a salon, as if that's something worth celebrating. Why should what a person over the legal age of consent does with her body be of concern to others? Aside from the sensationalism of the story, I don't see how it deserves to be the headline story on CNN.

The same reporter, Pauline Chiou, did another story on the ketamine "epidemic" in Hong Kong. She mentions the drug testing scheme, but says not a word about the controversy it is stirring up, or the ineffectiveness of such tests. This bitch needs to go back to journalism school, or the nunnery, where she belongs!

堕落之城

科大請周秀娜做講座嘉賓，我第一時間send左我幾個月前寫口靚模現像條link俾同是演講嘉賓的嶺大文化研究講師李小良，批評這種講座trivialize學術研究，也扼殺討論其他更有價值和嚴肅議題的空間，李教授當然沒有賜覆。

今天蘋果報導這場講座，學生為了看明星而來，說李教授的講詞「悶到冇朋友」，周小姐對李教授的問題連理解都沒有，更何況回答。整件事都是一場鬧劇，無論對李教授或周小姐都好embarassing，但做的人和看的人都毫不介意，充份見證這城市的墮落。

好心做壞事

最近在地鐵站看到這個反吸毒運動的海佈，沒有圖片，只有幾個字。一個大的「無」字，裡面藏著「子女」兩個字，slogan是「無毒一生，由我做起」。capaign的對像是年青人，slogan中的我是他們吧。但slogan下又有「關懷、愛護、支持」幾個字，又似乎針對父母，廣告的對像難道是吸毒中的父母？又或者要年青人想像他們將來變成子女的榜樣，所以由現在開始「無毒一生」？

這個campaign原來不是政府宣傳，而是由「九名來自社會不同界別，包括商界、社福界、傳媒界及前政府官員的人士」發起，其中包括黎明，他出席這個活動時發揮其金句本色：「年輕人不要想像自己能控制藥物，K仔（氯胺酮）是好強烈的麻醉藥，是（獸醫）用來麻醉大笨象，不是給人食的，若有人食了狗糧會點？」這一句說話中包含幾個個錯？首先K仔可用於人，通常配合其他麻醉藥用，也可用於其他治療包括抗憂鬱。此外狗糧含多種營養，人吃了不會有事，而且吸毒同吃東西是兩回事。還有，用這種condescending的態度對年青人說話，是不會得到你預期的結果。整件事完全好心做壞事，只會激發起年青人的反叛和反感。

母語教學costs lives!

尼泊爾男子林寶被警員開槍擊斃案，電視上播出市民拍的手機片段，警員開槍前用廣東話大叫「放低武器」、「唔好迫我」，林寶當然聽唔明繼續揮動木棍招致殺身之禍。奇怪的是當初警員問他有沒有身份証時是說英文的，即警員已establish他是懂英語的，後來情急之下才說廣東話，也不理會人家聽不聽得明便斷定他有攻擊性然後開槍。可憐的林寶可算是母語教學下第一個因此喪命的人！

紀錄片的道德責任

有的時候很難猜度一個導演背後的意圖。在《麥收》的Q&A有觀眾問他主角苗紅有否看過這部戲，他答還沒有時間讓她看，但影片今年三月至今已去過多個影展，很難相信幾個月來也找不到時間。我也問過徐童在剪接時有否讓她看，他回答說覺得後期工作是導演的責任，被拍者的工作拍攝完便結束。這回答有點傲漫，畢竟通過剪接、音樂、旁白、字幕等後期效果，可以大大影響觀眾對被拍者的印像，一個人同意被拍攝是否等於他把所有話事權全歸於你？陰謀論的想法是他不想給苗紅機會打退堂鼓。

紀錄片的道德責任是個有趣的課題，跟所有的道德論一樣沒有絕對的對與錯，每個地方、每個作者的做法也有不同。西方的做法是用法律來規限，拍攝前先簽好同意書。但在現場被訪者接過字體密麻麻的一張紙，很多時都求其簽個名就算，並不知道一般同意書都是有利拍攝者，像在Bruno裡面出鏡的人，大部分都真的以為自己正參與一個奧地利電視節目。

上圖是我在韓國拍的唯一一張相。左起是我，徐童，兩個電影節志願者，日本評審Tomiyama Katsue，電影節冊劃Park Ki Yong。

《麥收》

《麥收》最後一場，女主角苖紅談為父親的健康擔心，說自己不能想像他的死，然後她哭起來，久久不'能成言。攝影機一直拍，但鏡頭變得一片沈默。過了好一陣子，她終於問導演：“還有什麼要問？”導演不答話，她繼續問，“還拍不拍呀？”影片就在那裏完結了。這簡單的對話充份表現出拍攝者與被拍者的互相信任，苖紅多麼願意開放自己，但拍攝者沒有take advantage of 她脆弱的一刻，也沒有再追問她什麼，這一幕令我感動得不得了。

導演徐童明白到拍紀錄片的要點不在於能問到多少問題，取得多少料，反而沒有問的比問了的更重要。所以片中他完全沒有問苖紅關於她工作的問題，沒有問她一天接多少個客呀，怎麼做呀，跟男朋友的性生活呀這些想當然的八掛問題，他從頭到尾沒有把她當作一個妓女，只把她當作一個人，單是這一點，對被訪者來說，已比那些好心做壞事的NGO 不知強多少倍。

Lou Ye's Spring Fever

Went to see Lou Ye's Spring Fever last night. Came out with a vaguely uneasy feeling. I can't help but admire his skill as a filmmaker, his use of handheld camera, the lyricism of some of the sections. But I couldn't embrace it somehow, and I wasn't able to put my finger on it. I joked that probably it was because it featured the ugliest drag queen and the most awful singing I'd ever seen.

When I woke up the next morning I found my sub-conscious had digested the film for me as it often does, and I realized why I disliked Spring Fever: none of the characters rang true. I couln't get into what they are like as a person, what they feel and what they want. They are like a straight person's view of what gays are like. Here's the drag queen, the top, the bottom, the married guy, the bi-curious. They are all not so much stereotypes as characatures, products of research rather than true understanding. And I wonder, given that the film was funded by Westerners, whether--intentionally or not--there is an element of self-exploitation (made possible by the fact that the protagonists are Others) in the filmmaker's mind: "Hey guys, this is what gays are like in China. Come and gawk at them!"

One can't help but compare the film to Wong Kar Wei's Happy Together, especially when Lou has one of his characters mimicing Leslie Cheung's dancing to a Latin beat in one of the scenes, but even though Wong is also straight, he approaches his characters not first and foremost as gays but as people, and that is the crucial difference between the two directors.

驗毒與驗腦

是否討論到青少年毒品問題，眾人的IQ即時減半?十分同意王岸然所說，學校不用驗毒，高官卻要驗腦。

今天個人資料私隱專員吳斌透露政府從未就驗毒方案諮詢公署。政府討論驗毒時一定有教育局、保安局、律政師及各式AO參與，這些月薪數十萬的人開會時竟然無人說：「不如我地下次開會時邀請私穩專員來俾D意見吧。」可見整個校本驗毒計劃的粗疏和急就章。

另外今天城大法律學院副院長顧敏康在明報撰文 指出「校本驗毒計劃應以強制為原則」，並引述新澤西州訴T.L.O.一案為依據。該案中女學生因吸煙被要求搜查書包，過程中找到女學生涉大麻交易證據。被告的女學生反指學校違反第四修正案（即規定政府搜查和扣押的行為必須是合理的，否則就會侵犯當事人的私隱權），後來法庭判學校沒違法，但整案的關鍵在於校方有沒有合理疑點去搜查人家的書包，該案中學生在學校食煙犯規，構成合理疑點，但香港的校本驗毒是隨機抽樣，不是叫懷疑吸毒的學生驗毒，跟美國案例風馬牛不相及，更不可能成為香港校本驗毒的法理依據。身為法律學院副院長竟胡塗至此，實在令人驚訝。

Jia Zhangke and Rebiya Kadeer

(from The New Yorker)

The film director Jia Zhangke, whom I profiled earlier this year in the magazine, has pulled out of the Melbourne International Film Festival to avoid appearing beside Rebiya Kadeer, the exiled Uighur leader whom the Chinese government has accused of instigating the recent riots in Xinjiang. (Kadeer is the subject of a documentary, “10 Conditions of Love,” which will also be shown at the festival.) Jia and his production company, Xstream productions, released a statement in Chinese this week, portions of which I’ve translated: We have no interest in meddling with the festival’s freedom of artistic exchange. Withdrawing from Melbourne is, rather, a kind of self-restraint. Xinjiang history is not something I’m well acquainted with, but the recent Urumqi violent incident was only two weeks ago, and I, at a minimum, should take a cautious approach. I don’t want to do anything that would tarnish those who died.

I have a sense that the political overtone of this year’s Melbourne festival is getting more and more intense…In putting the documentary “10 Conditions of Love,” in which Rebiya [Kadeer] plays a key role, on the playbill, the organizers organized a series of publicity activities for her.

We feel that appearing with Rebiya in a thoroughly politicized festival crosses the line of what our emotions and behavior can accept and is not appropriate. Therefore, Xstream unanimously decided to withdraw, in order to express our attitude and position.

The decision to withdraw has startled fans overseas, some of whom tend to view Jia as a political rebel. But that portrait has always struck me as an oversimplification that fails to capture the nuances of his position in China. He is, emphatically, not a dissident director. He made an explicit choice years ago to submit his films to censorship in order to gain a broader audience. As he has told me, “Marginalization can be a kind of pleasant stance—I really admire many of those people—but I would rather expend enormous energy trying to dance with the many levels of the era in which we live.” Given the mood in China these days and the intensity of the official campaign against Kadeer, there is little question in my mind that if Jia had appeared at the festival with Kadeer he would have run into political problems at home. It’s not impossible to imagine that his films might have encountered distribution problems or his funding sources would have come under more serious scrutiny. (See the experience of the Gongmeng law firm.) Whether his foreign fans like it or not, Jia has decided that he would rather work within the system, and with his budgets reaching into the millions of dollars these days, it is understandable that he is more cautious than he once was about whether his films have a commercial future.

None of this is likely to assuage critics abroad who will interpret this as arguably China’s greatest living director bending to the autocratic demands of the government. But reading his comments today, I am reminded that the interpretation of the violence in Xinjiang looks very different to Chinese observers—even ones we think of as liberals—than it does to foreigners. As he has throughout his career, Jia has read the political winds and arrived at a tough, polarizing decision.

Tough decision? Dude, it's a no brainer.

If you want to get ahead, bow down to the master. What's so tough about that?

校本驗毒唔止唔work,還會有反效果

看到政府不理各方反對一意孤行要推校本驗毒，但又唔敢做得太盡，話學生如果不同意也可不驗，不禁啼笑階非；就好似有人要黎強姦你，但話定你知你唔同意佢都可以唔入你！一方面好想冷眼旁觀看這場鬧劇，另一方面又不忍看到學生對學校、家長以至政府僅餘的互相給磨滅掉。

練乙錚昨天那篇文章， 已清楚說明根據外國經驗校本驗毒係唔work的，他提到的其中一篇研究前兩天我剛巧download了，到這裡補充一下。這個由University of Michigan 的Yamaguchi, Johnston and O'Malley作的研究，比較有作校本驗毒的學校與沒有的學生吸毒率，發現兩者分別不大，即是說校本驗毒未能起到壓止學生吸毒的作用。

"There are still no significant differences in marijuana use or the use of other illicit drugs as a function of whether or not the school has (a)drug testing of any kind, (b) drug testing of students based on cause or suspicion, or (c) drug testing of athletes. Nor is there evidence that the heavy drug-using segment of the student population, specifically, is deterred from using marijuana or other illicit drugs by random or for cause testing."

更令人憂慮的，是研究指出有作校本驗毒的學校的學生吸食大麻以外的毒品比率，竟比沒有驗毒的學校的學生更高！其中一個原因可能是學生減少吸食他們認為能被驗出來的大麻，轉而吸食其他他們認為不會被驗出來的其他毒品。

"One could generate hypotheses to explain such a phenomenon, such as that testing leads students to reduce their use of drugs that can be detected (like marijuana) and to displace their use onto drugs that they think less likely to be detected."

校本驗毒勞民傷財(一次要百多元)，為何不把資源投向社會服務幫助需要幫助的人？

一個並不獨立的「獨立導演」

(轉貼自http://www.mslforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1104)

中國的「獨立導演」賈樟柯，也加入到「愛國秀」的行列之中：日前，因為澳大利亞墨爾本國際電影節播放以熱比婭為中心人物的紀錄片《愛的十個條件》，並邀請 熱比婭出席，賈樟柯高調宣佈退出電影節。一時間，中國文藝界的知名人士紛紛表態強烈支持，如電影導演馮小剛便熱情澎湃地說：「電影節最應該體現的是正義。 而組委會邀請這樣的政治騙子參加，不僅讓一場文化盛筵變成了政治鬧劇，也把電影節自己的牌子給毀了。」

退出電影節毫不審慎

電影節的牌子是否被毀，不是由馮、賈二位導演說了算；熱比婭是不是「政治騙子」、達賴喇嘛是不是「衣冠禽獸」，也不是由中共當局和「愛國賊」們說 了算。賈樟柯在聲明中說：「新疆歷史並不是我個人諳熟的領域，但發生在烏魯木齊的暴力事件剛剛過去兩周，我想至少應該採取一種審慎的態度，不要讓自己無意 識的行為玷污那些死去的人們。」這個說法與他「毅然」退出的宣佈卻截然相反。這一退出絲毫不「審慎」。

新疆的暴力事件，有近因，即在廣東韶關打工的維族民工遭到暴力毆打甚至殺害；更有遠因，即長期以來中共的民族和宗教政策的嚴重失誤。將所有的罪責 都推給熱比婭這樣一位兩個孩子都在獄中、自己不得不流亡天涯的媽媽，怎麼說也是欲加之罪、何患無詞。國際社會普遍都沒有將熱比婭看作恐怖分子，既然賈樟柯 對新疆問題沒有研究，為甚麼就不假思索地接受中共的結論呢？何況迄今為止，中共並沒有公佈任何能夠證明熱比婭與暴力事件有關的確鑿證據。沒有證據，卻作有 罪推定，這是法治的國家和理性的公民的作為嗎？

而暴力事件中的死難者，既有被維族暴力分子殺害的漢族平民，也有被漢族軍警殺害的維族民眾。死者的詳細資料至今仍然是「國家機密」，如同六四被殺 害的學生和市民一樣，如同四川地震中死於豆腐渣校舍的學生和全國死於三鹿有毒奶粉的嬰孩一樣。同情心是必要的，但真正的同情心不是有選擇地同情一部份人， 而是同情所有人；不是只同情那些官方允許同情的人，而不同情那些官方不允許同情的人。如果賈導演真有同情心的話，不妨學學藝術家艾未未，將調查和發佈地震 中受難學生的真相，當作比藝術更加偉大的志業，而不惜付出博客被封、特務上門監視的代價。

巨星爭着演建國大片

賈樟柯確實拍攝過一些獨立電影，但隨着名氣越來越大，他的獨立性也越來越低。這在中國電影界是一種普遍現象：拍過《活着》的張藝謀成了奧運開幕式 的總導演，拍過《北京雜種》的張元接着去拍《江姐》。畢竟，進入「主旋律」是一個難以抵擋的誘惑。成龍大哥的榜樣立在那裏，想學的人多着呢。中共以巨資打 造的紀念奪取天下六十周年的「獻禮片」《建國大業》，不是有那麼多兩岸三地的巨星，爭先恐後地去「義務」出演嗎？所以，賈樟柯在一個正確的時間、正確的地 點、做了一個正確的選擇，黨媽媽會記住的，會有獎賞的。

余杰
中國獨立作家

贾樟柯退出墨尔本影展 九成网友支持贾樟柯

贾樟柯在声明中说：“7月19日，公司代表周强致信影展主席，宣布西河星汇的两部影片《河上的爱情》与《完美生活》退出本届墨尔本电影节，同时取消导演唐晓白与监制周强的出席计划。”

昨 日记者致电贾樟柯的长期合作伙伴周强，退出影展的信函正是由他亲自撰写的。周强告诉记者，自己是17日才知道第58届墨尔本国际电影节将播放介绍“东突” 民族分裂分子的纪录片，并邀请热比娅到墨尔本出席电影节的消息。他介绍，当时是西河星汇的一个工作人员看到外电报道，转告了这个消息，周强立刻在电影节的 官网上查看，确认了这个消息，“我的第一反应就是我不能接受这个纪录片在电影节上放映，更不能接受她作为嘉宾出席。”

周强立刻把这个消息告诉了贾樟柯和唐晓白，两人都很惊讶，并一致决定退赛。

退赛原因

纯属自愿 没受到外界的任何暗示

在这份声明中，贾樟柯谈到了三点退出理由。首先，贾樟柯强调退出是出于影片导演和公司自己的决定，没有受到外界的任何暗示，他说：“发生在乌鲁木齐的暴力事件刚刚过去，我想至少应该采取一种审慎的态度，不要去玷污那些死去的人们。”

其次，贾樟柯称墨尔本国际电影节的政治意味越来越浓，除了热比娅纪录片的放映以及热比娅亲自出席电影节外，英国导演肯·洛奇也质疑墨尔本电影节的资金来源（编者注：指以色列政府的资助），称他们是在拿“带血的钱”办影展。

最 后，贾樟柯从个人的角度来说：“我们认为和热比娅同时出现在充满政治意味的墨尔本影展上，于我们的个人感情和行为底线是不能接受的，是不合适的。因此，公 司西河星汇全体一致决定退赛，以表达我们个人的态度和立场。”此前，贾樟柯在接受环球时报的采访时也曾表示：“7·5事件这场悲剧刚过去，那么多同胞的亡 灵尚未安息，出于中国人朴素的情感，我们不愿意和那样一部电影同时出现在一个平台上。”

冷眼看贾樟柯等退出墨尔本电影节

(轉貼自 http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/free/1/1632932.shtml)

这两天的一个大事件，贾樟柯等人退出墨尔本国际电影节，以此抗议电影节计划播放热比娅的纪录片。
　　
　　俨然一副大义凛然的英雄形象呈现在全国人民面前，各种新闻媒体更是争相报道，万千网民一边倒地支持。
　　
　　不过，这“万千网民”中不包括我。我的眼睛是冷冷的，我的血液流速也是正常的，我的思想在独立思考判断。
　　
　　贾樟柯等都清楚，做出此举势必造成轰动效应，绝对比参加那个什么鬼电影节影响大得多。在此之前，作为“大大网虫”的我，都不知道他们拍的这三部电影，更不知道他们还跑去墨尔本电影节凑热闹。这下，不但全国人民都知道了，而且还成了英雄，煞有“王者归来”之气魄。
　　
　　看到这里，如果你觉得我在说贾樟柯等炒作，恭喜你，你错了。各位看官您抬眼往下看。
　　
　　贾樟柯等退出的理由上面已经提到过了，我就在想，墨尔本电影节怎么就不能播放热比娅的纪录片？
　　
　 　热比娅是谁？曾经的新疆首富，原新疆工商联副主席、女企业家协会副会长，第八届全国政协委员。好一个驰骋于政商两届的风云人物，可谓要名有名，要利有 利。让人不解的，她叛逃了，叛变了中共。至此，她在中国大陆的名被搞臭了，利也没了。到底是什么原因让她一个夕阳垂垂之老妪放弃名利与中共决裂，我们不得 而知，更不能乱猜。
　　
　　一段小插曲，我们回正题。
　　
　　无可否认，热比娅是当今世界上一个不敢说举足轻重至少是很 有分量的人物。有人视其为英雄，有人视之为败类。导致天壤分歧的原因在于政治角度、意识形态等。那么，对于这样一个人，就更应该多去了解一下？外国人播放 一个纪录片，又有何不可？只因为大陆人民得到的信息说热比娅是个十恶不赦的民族分裂分子，就此抵制别人放个片子，说来还是自身本位思想在作怪。何谓本位思 想？就是以自己知道的为准，以自己认为的为准，不去独立思考和认知，更无任何怀疑精神。
　　
　　热比娅这个人的功过是非，历史会去评判。泱泱大国的人民却连一个介绍她的纪录片都无法容忍，着实可怜可悲可叹。
　　
　 　自身本位思想判定是坏的、错的，则千方百计让所谓坏的、错的不见天日，无立足之地，表现在谩骂、栽赃、打压......这种做法暴露出的恰恰是我们的心 虚本质。就好似两个人因为纠纷吵架，在众人面前辩驳。强势的一方认为自己是对的，而不让对方讲话，甚至连对方露面都要打压，度量小的可怜。如果你确定自己 是对的，那还怕什么，让对方也来说也来辩，话不说不明，理不辨不清。
　　
　　话说回来，电影节还不是让热比娅过来发表反华演说，仅仅是播放个纪录片而已。如果哪天某个电影节播放希特勒的纪录片，是不是所有参加者都要退出抗议呢？
　　
　　亲爱的同胞们，理性一点好不好，你看到的、听到的、想到的，不一定就是真的、正确的。
　　
　　美国人已经发现了自己本位思想的错误而在逐渐改变。他们曾经毫无疑问地认为他们的意识形态是对的，进而“推销”给这个世界。结果，飞机撞大楼的天方夜谭都成了纪实文学。
　　
　　同一个世界，这没错。但绝对不是同一个梦想。
　　
　　战争有两大起源，一个是资源争夺，另一个就是意识形态碰撞。
　　
　 　不要把自己的意识强加给别人，你那么想，不代表别人也那么想。对还是错，往往难以说得清楚。雄赳赳气昂昂的志愿军打了一场朝鲜战争，无数同胞热血洒异 乡，从我们曾经的意识上讲，这肯定是对的。今天放眼半岛，南韩人民享受着资本主义丰硕成果，而朝鲜人民还在掐着肚皮高喊社会主义万岁。我们错了吗？不知 道，但改变了的是我们今天已经敢于怀疑自己。
　　
　　中国与世界的融合必将越来越密切，中国的国民需要逐渐树立起大国国民应该有的气度。你高兴了就和人家玩，不高兴了就撂挑子不玩了，你以为这是过家家吗？
　　
　　据我所知，美国还有个奥斯卡吧。可从未见中国导演参加奥斯卡美国人退出抗议的。按我们的思维逻辑，美国人应该仇视来自红色中国的导演才对，他们不是一直都想颠覆中国的红色政权吗？
　　
　　各大媒体都提到了贾樟柯在致墨尔本国际电影节组委会的一封信中说的话：“乌鲁木齐７月上旬发生了严重暴力事件，造成许多人丧生。多数死难者家属都认为，以热比娅为首的“世维会”对这一事件负有不可推卸的责任。”
　　
　　我得承认，对于乌鲁木齐发生的事情，我也为无辜的民众成了牺牲品为难过。我也不止一次地试想如果我当日走在乌鲁木齐大街上遭遇如此飞来横祸该是做何感想。
　　
　 　可是，对于贾樟柯所讲“多数死难者家属都认为，以热比娅为首的“世维会”对这一事件负有不可推卸的责任。”这样的说法，着实大汗淋漓。这里我们不去深究 乌鲁木齐的事情和热比娅以及什么“世维会”到底有没有关系。关于这个事件的信息来源，大陆民众都是听一家所言，普通民众对热比娅以及“世维会”可以说根本 就没什么了解。在大陆，了解这些内容是非常不容易而且是有高度风险的事情。那么，这些“多数死难者家属”又是如何断定的呢？自然，也是听说。贾樟柯作为一 个比普通人更有见识的导演，这样的说法是非常不恰当的。虽说现在还没有公布证据，就算公布了证据证明的确和热比娅有关，也不能借用死难者家属的名义来说 事。你个人那样认为的，就勇敢点直接说“我认为....”。把死难者家属摆上台面，无非就是为了先发制人说明自己是绝对正确、正义的，大家不需要有任何疑 问了。
　　
　　要说贾樟柯之流，也太拿自己当大瓣蒜了。实际上，人家电影节多你们不多，少你们也不少。斜着眼瞅瞅中国大陆在国际影展上获 点小奖的那些片子，大多都是在表现中国的愚昧落后，让老外看笑话。就像一群老外吃着香蕉看中国送去的猴子在耍，看够了觉得开眼丢一根小小的烂香蕉作为所谓 的“肯定”。近年，大陆这边也送出去几部所谓的“大片”，无非就是大把烧钱造就的大场面外带空洞乏味不知所云的故事，和老外拍的大片一对比，啥也不说了。 我不是完美主义者，我不苛求中国导演拍出如《肖克申的救赎》一样深刻《泰坦尼克号》一样火爆的影片。当了导演，好好想想怎么干好自己应该干的事，别学人家 玩什么政治游戏，搞什么民族纠葛。有自己的看法和见解，发发博客也好，去墨尔本充什么英雄啊！除了换来一大群大陆民众盲目的叫好声以外，只给老外又多一个 论据来证明中国人真的是《丑陋的中国人》。

奴才的抗議 (轉貼自蘋果日報)

奉己　大陸自由撰稿人

為 抗議第五十八屆墨爾本國際電影節播放有關熱比婭的紀錄片《愛的十個條件》，賈樟柯、唐曉白等內地及香港導演決定撤回影片、退出影展。雖然製片方明確表示， 此舉與中國政府無關，只是公司與導演的決定，但即便排除利益的權衡算計，剩下的抵制理由也相當愚蠢荒唐。賈樟柯在致墨爾本國際電影節組委會的一封信中說， 烏魯木齊「七．五事件」的「多數死難者家屬都認為，以熱比婭為首的『世維會』對這一事件負有不可推卸的責任」。別人這麼認為，你就跟着這麼認為嗎？你的腦 袋究竟是用來思考，還是用來養魚的呢？如果腦袋真的不靈光，或許有必要提醒賈樟柯注意下列事項：
達賴喇嘛擁有洛杉磯和舊金山的城市鑰匙，獲得過美 國國會金質獎章；他曾在柏林的勃蘭登堡門前發表演講，受到過德國總理默克爾的接見；他是巴黎的榮譽市民，也受到過法國總統薩爾科齊的接見；他是羅馬和威尼 斯的榮譽市民，而意大利總理貝盧斯科尼曾誣衊中國「把孩子煮了做肥料」……此外，李察基爾、莎朗史東、米亞花露……荷李活不乏「反華分子」，而在歐洲三大 電影節上展映過的，刻意「醜化中國人形象」的影片更是不勝枚舉──《小武》又算不算其中之一呢？當然，藝術和政治無關，抵制與否是個人的自由，旁人不便置 喙，問題是今後到底該怎樣對待奧斯卡金像獎，以及柏林金熊獎、戛納金棕櫚獎、威尼斯金獅獎呢？是一視同仁，還是厚此薄彼，但願賈樟柯不要讓那些此番為其鼓 掌喝采的人失望才好。

賈樟柯在發給媒體的聲明中表示，「我們認為和熱比婭同時出現在充滿政治意味的墨爾本影展上，於我們的個人感情和行為底線是不 能接受的，是不合適的。因此，公司西河星彙全體一致決定採取退出影展的方法以表達我們個人的態度和立場」。若說賈樟柯抵制墨爾本國際電影節是一種政治投 機，難免有誅心之論的嫌疑，可《小武》、《站台》被當局禁映的時候，他的「個人感情和行為底線」怎麼就接受了，他怎麼就沒有表達「個人的態度和立場」呢？ 一個自身權利受到侵犯連屁都不敢放一個的「屁民」，突然高調的跳出來，怎能不令人懷疑其背後的動機？這種廉價的抗議，不過是一場撒嬌式的「愛國表演」而 已！

上梁山，為招安。中國有太多的「文藝工作者」在沒有獲得黨的青睞以前，喜歡把自己打扮成「異議人士」，跟洋人騙名騙利，甚至僅僅混吃混喝。可 一旦有機會從「下水道」爬出來，走上「紅地毯」，他們又紛紛爭先恐後的擺出忠君愛國的架勢，殊不知暴露的卻是中國人諂媚權貴的劣根性！去年，幾個畫家因為 法國人對待北京奧運會的態度抵制了一場美展；今年，幾個導演因為澳洲人對待熱比婭的態度抵制了一場影展。中國可以說「不」，因為中國奴才輩出！

看到自己的事業後繼有人，張藝謀肯定很欣慰。賈樟柯不但執導了關於上海世博會的大型紀錄片《上海傳奇》，他還入選了二○一○年廣州亞運會開閉幕式的創意團隊，二○一一年，深圳大運會的開閉幕式同樣在等待着他呢！雖然已經貴為中國電影家協會副主席，可成龍，並不孤獨。

My 2 cents on o靚模現像

At the moment in Iran, people are willing to die for their beliefs. In other parts of the world young people express their anger and dissatisfaction with society through music and other forms of expression. Why are young people in Hong Kong so placid? Our rappers like 陸永 joke about celebrities when they get up on stage!

In the current obsession over young models ( o靚模)，I don't blame the models themselves for trying to make a living, or the young men who salivate over them because they don't know any better. However, I do blame our public intellectuals--the columnists, commentators and even university professors who take up valuable column inches and air time discussing this so-called phenomenon in earnest, as if there is something truly profound and novel about teenage boys and middle aged men lusting over big bosoms. In the process they crowd out other less frivolous topics, like people who write serious books and make serious films and put on serious plays. Rather than contributing to society's collective betterment, these intellectuals help narrow down and cheapen the public sphere, and for this I hold them accountable.

大嶼山的假期

上週末帶著Plato和Buddy到大嶼山，兩隻野由頭到尾都那麼興奮。Plato第一次到海灘，但二話不說便衝了落水，Buddy見到她游得那麼開心，本來怕水的他都忍不住落水暢泳一番。Plato游水的樣子十分認真，雖然游狗仔式，但都快過我游蛙式，無論我游得離岸邊多遠，她都會追上來！回家途中他們不知是否因為太累，竟嘔在Van仔上，幸好司機沒有發脾四！

不相信人身自由便沒有民主社會

若John Stuart Mills 知道他的On Liberty 出版150年後，他對人身和政治自由的主張仍在某些地方被視為離經叛道，必會十分驚訝。其實Mills的主張有很多當時被視為十分前衛，但現在已變成民主社會的主流思想，如女人應有投票權，人應有言論、集會自由等等。在On Liberty，Mills認為政府不應干涉人身自由，並指出"Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign"，除了政府的權力外，社會的大多數亦會通過監控道德與禮節而做出種種損害個人的事，如沙地亞拉伯以宗教道德之名禁止婦女單獨外出或駕車。他提出的Harm principle是功利主義(utilitarianism--the greatest good for the greatest number)的反面延伸，即人有自由做任何對其他人無害的事。某程度上過去百多年來西方社會政治與社會的演進，包括對不同種族或少數性傾向人士的保護，除了建基於對人權的信念外，人身自由和harm principle也是重要的考慮。

近日香港社會對青少年吸毒這議題鬧得沸沸騰騰，連民主派的黃成智也承機抽水，攪了個坐談會討論青少年吸毒 (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110319556882&ref=nf)，順便推銷校本驗毒條例。而觀乎仿間對近日深圳吸毒港人的口誅筆伐，大家對人身自由這觀念並不認同，但這些人會否明白，不相信人身自由，不相信人有足夠智慧和識別能力去做他認為是對的事，便等於認同成蟲金句"中國人是要管的"，便沒可能實現真正的民主社會嗎？

The War on Drugs: we're focussing on the wrong drugs!

Annual Causes of Death in the United States:

Tobacco 435,000
Alcohol 85,000
All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect 17,000
Marijuana 0
Source: http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30

禁毒注定失敗

上星期指出抗毒是social control,話口未完特首便宣佈一系列打擊青少年吸毒措施，包括建議用緝毒犬巡邏學校，強制驗毒，立法禁止 16歲以下人士在凌晨等時段進入網吧。這種頭痛醫頭的方法根本對青少年吸毒「問題」毫無幫助，而且又把資源divert from 治療和處理真正有問題的吸毒者(而不是偶然去夜店吃糖索K的大部分人)。

青少年吸毒只是一個表徵，源頭是社會自回歸後一連串的問題，包括教改失敗，經濟轉型令工業中學式微，現在的學校根本engage不了學生，學生對教育完全失去興趣。另外香港人工時太長，家長不能好好照顧子女，家庭關系不好令青少年轉投向朋輩。過往十年推行社工界一筆過撥款令社工界資源減少，不能應付社會需要。而且政府公信力低，禁毒宣傳一味靠嚇，花更多錢賣「可一不可再」廣告也只會造成反效果！

毒品非刑事化

香港和深圳最近高調在夜店掃場拘捕吸毒人士，警方發言人稱現正值暑假，警方關注青少年濫藥問題。

但其實用警力打擊毒品充期量只能暫時阻止毒品問題，一旦警方行動有所減緩大家便會故態復萌，而且這些行動需耗費大量人力物力，跟實際效益不成正比。

在2000年，葡萄牙把毒品全盤非刑事化，吸毒和攜帶所有毒品自用不會被撿控(但運毒仍是刑事罪)。當時有很多人警告葡萄牙勢成全歐洲的毒品之都，所有好此道者都會蜂踴到該國大吸特吸。但八年過去，葡萄牙的吸毒人士不升反跌，而且吸毒者因吸食不純正毒品而死亡以及感染各種病毒的比例大大下跌。

Drug enforcement is never about drugs. It's about power and control. 所以無論其他國家的經驗有多成功，中國人永遠都不會容許毒品非刑事化。

以下是BBC有關報導。

港深文化交流

對很多港人來說，深圳只是一個按摩、叫鷄、浦夜店的地方，但其實這城市有千多萬人口，比香港還多，人口來自全國各地，龍蛇混雜，是個很有趣的地方，很值很香港人了解，但深港兩地的文化交流少得可憐。這星期六我到了深圳出席一個港深獨立紀錄片的活動，放映了部深圳拍的，關於變性人的紀錄片《那該多好》。香港的代表是張經偉的07年作品《歌舞昇平》。前者製作粗糙但取材用心細緻，後者製作認真，鏡頭優美但取材不足，talking heads 太多，兩片的製作某程度上反映了兩地電影工作者的習性與態度，但都不約而同表現出對少眾及弱勢社群的關注，誠意可嘉。以下是有關於活動在深圳商報的報導。

用真实影像 拉近深港距离 深港纪录片工作者周六聚深座谈“影像记录双城志” 本报记者 金敏华

“ 毫无疑问，深港是朝融合的方向在前进。我们需要思考纪录片怎样在这个融合过程中发挥它独特的作用和社会功能。”香港出生、祖籍深圳湖贝村，作品在多个国际影展中参展及获奖的导演、编剧张经纬昨天下午兴冲冲地告诉本报记者，他已约得香港纪录片导演钟德胜、张虹等本周六下午两点赶赴深圳参加在雕塑家园圆筒艺术空间举行的“影像记录双城志”座谈会暨深港纪录片工作者交流展映活动。

搭建纪录片合作平台

“我们和深圳本地纪录片工作者常常遗憾深港两地在文化交流上的不足。适逢最近深圳在内地率先实行一签多行政策，让几乎所有深圳户籍居民可以随时来往香港，意味着两地更进一步地融合。加上圆筒艺术空间的鼎力相助，我们感觉到也许是时候做些实际的事，所以就诞生了这个星期六在深圳举行的‘影像记录双城展’，希望集思广益。这当中的可能性实在太多了。”张经纬解释道。

深圳本地的纪录片工作者对这一活动的反响可说出乎组织者意料之外。圆筒艺术空间的冯宇告诉记者，深圳从事纪录片工作的人并不少，但大多散落民间。迄今为止缺乏一个聚合资源、相互交流和进行脑力激荡的固定空间。“圆筒”有心搭建这样的一个平台，以此促进本地纪录片人的成长，促进深港两地的互相了解与融合。

纪录片工作者兴奋期待

据了解，包括邓康延、胡野秋、高鸣、白小刺、胡刘斌、吴白桦、陈宏、贾玉川、向阳花等在内的本地纪录片工作者、研究者乃至推广者都将参与这一座谈会。导演、深圳市影视家协会副主席李亚威对这一活动极表支持。正在参与筹划深圳一个ＤＶ大赛的越众影视公司董事长邓康延近年的工作重心已转向影像作品，他即将推出的下一部纪录片是《六十年·三地歌》。他希望目前进行的这个ＤＶ大赛也能有香港人的视角进入。反过来，“既然深圳户籍居民能随时来港，那么他们纪录片镜头下的香港会是怎样呢？通过香港一些组织的穿针引线，他们拍到的香港社会题材作品，可能跟香港本土作者的很不一样。同样，香港的纪录片工作者亦可以通过更多的深港沟通而找到一些在香港没有的题材。非常期待这种交融之下产生的片子。”张经纬有几分兴奋地期待。

“发现”转变中的城市

当天下午的活动将放映两地纪录片工作者的两部作品。一为深圳作者贾玉川拍摄的纪录片《那该多好》，一为香港导演张经纬的作品《歌舞升平》。《歌舞升平》片长７３分钟，是张经纬的第一部长篇纪录片，拍于２００７年，曾在第３２届香港国际电影节(２００８)国际竞赛单元、韩国首尔独立电影电视节(２００８)非竞赛单元、第一届加拿大Ｒｉｃｈｍｏｎｄ新亚洲独立影像展（２００７）等展映。

“《歌舞升平》去年一整年在香港平均每月三场不停地举行放映会，让此片深入到香港各个大学以及中学，甚至走入天水围小区。若然能扩大到双城的规模，在题材及影响力上肯定更能放大。”张经纬说道。

而深圳本身伟大的城市化进程事实上也给纪录片工作者提供了诸多题材。“加冕‘设计之都’后的深圳设计师生存状况何如？淹没在北方移民大潮中的本地原住民有什么样的新苦痛和困惑？第一批真正意义上的‘深港人’，有着怎样的属于他们自己的生活、家庭和感情？”冯宇表示，举办这次座谈会的目的正是要“鼓励普通市民记录他们身边熟悉的事物，希望公众可以透过寻常百姓的眼睛，去重新‘发现’正在转变中的城市。”

End of Love Trailer

如何(暫時)令右基收皮

有我Facebook的人大概都知道我過去幾個月來一直跟一個「聲援黃成智」group的右派基督徒「辯論」，由黃成智單野到神學、淫審條例和同志議題等不斷爭拗，雖然知道永遠無法改變對方的想法，但為啖氣一直堅持不休，最後終於給我have the last word (至少暫時來說)，出了這個post之後幾星期都沒有人再答話。

令右基收皮的論點是什麼？不是什麼同志神學，不是有關於聖經詮釋的理據，也不是有關人權的論述，而是賽先生Science。有個右基說同性戀者不應領養，這是他的理據:「咁個小朋友係咪要叫一個男人做媽媽, 同埋如果要同啲朋友仔介紹佢爸爸媽媽時, 要話父母都係男人呢?? 咁個小朋友又會點諗......??嗰啲小朋友第時大個咗又會唔會學咗佢哋嘅(同性戀父母)而變咗同性戀呢??因為我識一啲社工輔導都成日講小朋友係會好容易同不自覺地模仿佢哋嘅父母的行為!」

若性取向可以見到父母做就照住學，咁異性戀家庭就唔會有同性戀子女啦。跟據美國心理發展雜誌( Developmental Psychology)95年刋登的一項名為「同性戀父親的成年兒子的性取向」的研究，訪問了數十個與兒子同住的同性戀父親，發現只有9%的兒子是同性戀，與大圍環境相若，而且兒子的性取向跟與父親同住的時間長短無關，否定了兒子模仿父親性行為的假切。

另一個在Current Directions in Psychological Science (2006年11月)刋登的題為Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents 的研究，指出在同性家庭長大的孩子在幾個指標，包括心理健康、自信心、學業成績、與家人關係等，與異性戀家庭長大的孩子無異。研究員的結論是，對於孩子的成長，父母的性別遠較與子女的關係的質素影響輕微。這樣說好像很「阿媽係女人」般明顯，但對於冥頑不靈的右基來說，卻是個永遠不能接受的事實。我不是天真到以為他們被賽先生說服，以他們的不學無術，也肯定不會看我的references，他們只是一時找不到反駁我的理據而已。

人咬狗

有晚放狗時，迎面而來有個男人拖著三隻細狗，Buddy和Plato發了狂的向著牠們飛奔，我一時拉不住，連跑帶仆的走到那男人面前，那三隻小狗狂吠，Buddy和Plato也只是嗅了嗅屁股便被我拉開。那男人卻反應很大，駡我不及時把我的狗拉開。
「兩隻加埋成百幾磅架，你試吓拉吓吖。」
他還不罷休，說我的狗把他的狗咬傷。
「我D狗從來唔會咬人架。」
跟住又話我不給狗帶口罩。
「香港法例只要求狗主拖狗繩，冇話要帶口罩架。」
說完我掉頭就走。
「你咪走，我依家打999報警！」
我心諗：啋你都傻！頭也不回繼續行。
誰知這場放狗小風波還有下文，昨晚放狗時又碰到他，他竟問我借電話，話有急事要找他老婆，他是否以為我是白痴？
「我唔會借電話俾你咯！」
但我很好奇他究竟想點？想搶我電話？還是記下我的電話號碼以便半夜打來問候我娘親？

梅窩刁民

在新聞報導看正生單野，覺得香港人簡直民智未開。幸好打開discuss.com,支持正生的人佔大多數，令我對這地方不至完全絕望。忍唔住post其中一位網友的意見出來:

真係想去梅窩x爆班刁民.. 無品無禮貌無人格

平時又唔見佢地話要學校, 人地正生要入來, 先係到多多事實,

就算比你開間學校, 都唔係band one, 班粉腸會唔會讀..

瘦田無人爭, 爭開有人耕..班人簡直豬狗不如!!!

你地班友d細路吸毒都係靠正生, 到時唔好求人比你入去

【香港國際電影節 2009】無聲風鈴、永久居留、愛到盡

source: http://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/news/amyyym/3/1312653334/20090421231123/

【香港國際電影節 2009】無聲風鈴、永久居留、愛到盡

今年香港國際電影節，香港出品的同性戀電影作品不少，看了雲翔導演的《永久居留》、洪榮傑的《無聲風鈴》和鍾德勝的《愛到盡》，三部作品有著不一樣的劇情片，首兩部看來絕不少小本經營，跨境取景，豈料共同是導演自身的投射，效果奇差；《愛到盡》以異色情來道出迷失與毒禍，甚至涉足香港(亞洲)同性戀題材鮮有教育和戒毒所，小本製作極之反映本地代的異(現)狀，反而見驚喜。

未有留意過洪榮傑的作品，他在首部長片《無聲風鈴》玩意像風格，劇情絕對就是王家衛的《春光乍洩》，把黎耀輝與何寶榮的阿根廷變成香港，一個來自內地的外賣仔(呂玉來)在這處彈丸之地邂逅失落的外國男(Bernhard Bulling)，由直變孿，顛沛流離於香港、北京與瑞士之間。故事空洞無物，意像表達含混，最後一場戲的小提琴訴情突兀，連《無聲風鈴》片名的意義也是洪導演在【觀眾Q&A】環節上才明白所以。這一點證實，在玩意像之前，各位新導演必須練好基本功，就是說一個讓你主打的觀眾明白的故事，否則意像更好，一切也是徒然。

雲翔的首作《無野之城》，以同戀奇異戀來寫棒球，太意想不到吧，不敢恭維。第二首《永久居留》片中的Ivan就是雲翔的寫自己，拍自己的故事本身沒有問題，事前煞有介事說片中出現的「裸體藝術」也沒是什麼，但看畢全片最可怕的地方是︰
把戲中Ivan雲海(即自己)的角色神聖化，透過成長的遭遇來美化自己，時而純情專一，時而放蕩不羈，聰明才俊又愛家人，稱自己與情人林風比喻「風．雲」這些爛gag也算了吧，雲翔甚搬出什麼mutation基因突變的愛因斯坦偉論，弟弟更向Ivan說這麼好的gene沒法留下來真可惜，甚至30歲命格與2046預言書來神化自己，聽起來毛骨悚然。
不忘hard-sell自己的電影，片中臨記說《無野之城》拍得多好，又介紹自己兩齣新作《安非他命》和《藝海浮生》。我想說是看電影那麼久，從來沒有一部作品中導演自身會如此安排宣傳自己，自吹自擂，也從來沒有看過這麼爛的半自傳式的電影情節。雲翔在《永久居留》中自己拍自己，只淪為 — 不倫不類。

儘管有人說雲翔一次開拍三部片(《永久居留》、《安非他命》和《藝海浮生》)，可以有助電影業復甦。作為觀眾，我很憤怒，他把自戀、自我沉溺的世界呈上大銀幕，完全扼殺了電影本身的價值。作為世俗人，我也很憤怒，他那種自以為視的生命態度看不過眼。人人平等，我尊重你(和你的電影)，我也希望換來你的尊重，他在片中多次暗示同性戀為超然優越的自我祟拜立場(尤指談mutation )，請他也多多體會買票入場「非你族裔」的小眾香港國際電影節觀眾群的感受。

其實，《永久居留》比首作更見成熟，李家濠、洪智傑(EO2 Osman)等眾演員比之前業餘的棒球有水準，邱禮濤掌鏡、泰迪羅賓的音樂也拍出八、九十年代的懷舊，以主人翁非在港出生的篇章，暗喻香港在殖民地至回歸時的尷尬和無奈處境，來開始寫這場《永久居留》，亦是不錯的開題。這種自傳式的電影題材，主角自身又是導演自己又是投資者，除非這位人兄本精神分裂可一人分飾多種電影崗位的角色，否則客觀角度來看，根本就是互相矛盾。那麼交給別人來拍呢﹖這樣一廂情願的想法，又有幾多電影人覺得主角未完的一生有存著菲林片的價值。

當日看畢此片之後，因另一場HKIFF電影而沒有留下來聽【觀眾Q&A】環節，再翻閱了【HKIFF特刊】，雲翔在〔導演的話〕中談笑風生地說︰『本片並非完全虛構故事，如有雷同未必巧合』，唉！我對這位導演的緣份，也最好到此為止。
最後一席話︰《永久居留》— 成也雲翔，敗也雲翔。

看了《無聲風鈴》、《永久居留》，洪榮傑和雲翔兩位也不約而同，在新作來悼念男友的雙親，這一點很有趣。

因為一連兩部令人心灰意冷的本地製作，於是帶著一份絕對懷疑的態度來入場看鍾德勝作品《愛到盡》。只是影意志小本拍攝的同性題材小品，當然一些DV拍攝及編劇技巧仍有待改善，李志健、葉榮煌、楊尚斌、蔣祖曼等演員面孔新鮮，內容出奇的豐富，年青人對家人的疏離、賣肉賺快錢，對愛情那種若即若離的態度，頗有另類的描寫。後來他沾了毒癮，出入基督教的新生會戒毒而結識了弟兄，內容輕輕觸碰一直以來楚河漢界的宗教與同性戀(甚至雙性戀)兩個嚴肅、極端且受爭議的題材，也是本地同志片中較少談論。鍾德勝在【觀眾Q&A】環節中談及片名，希望影片表達出不同的愛，來看《愛到盡》時那一刻的人性。

《愛到盡》散場時，令我想起去年在香港亞洲電影節看到1992年日本橋口亮輔作品《20歲的微熱》(A Touch of Fever)，片中男主角的援交生活令他體會到截然不同的大世界。同志片，也可以拍得有聲有色，只要能突破小眾的框框而讓大眾有感共鳴，已是成功的第一步。

Aw....

My two babies, being nauseatingly cute!

園藝

最近愛上了園藝，種了很多植物，這是朋友曉蕾送給我的唔知乜春花，原來只有兩塊葉，但最近竟齊齊開花，很漂亮，也很有成功感。下一個目標是種紅莧菜，在有機店買來種子，現在已長出嫩芽，但仍很瘦弱，最近又被Plato糟質，不知有沒有機會長大成人。

現代婚姻進行曲

我懷疑港台想以後不再攪外判單元劇，所以今年的「現代婚姻進行曲」23號播映，但現在還沒有丁點兒宣傳，甚至自己網頁也只在節目播放表度出現，沒有任何資料！

Anyway，我拍的那一進將在5月30號出街，由出爐影后鮑喜靜及彭秀慧主演，萬勿錯過！

From the Blog Beb Ben 光影雜誌

片名：愛到盡 (HKIFF介紹)
片長：95分鐘
級別：III

故事 - 34/40
演出 - 16/20
畫面連佈景、特技 - 14/20
配樂連音效 - 14/20

Total = 78/100

估唔到幾好睇，今屆電影節三齣同同志有關ge本地製作(永久居留、無聲風鈴、愛到盡)入面最好睇係呢齣…感覺上故事條理比較清晰，亦幾牽動到情緒…

不過，其實電影重點係想講愛定毒品？觀乎戲名同埋聽導演解說，似乎係以愛為主，但都花左唔少篇幅講戒毒同吸毒 (都講得幾細緻的…)，搞到好似有d喧賓奪主…

電影其中一個重要場景係福音戒毒，一直都唔知福音戒毒係點的，原來福音戒毒係咁的

幾個演員名不經傳(最少我冇聽過...)，演出都幾好

For my consideration

1. 最佳原著劇本
2. 最佳整體演出
   

Double the fun

起初決定養多一隻狗都有D驚自己照顧唔黎，但養落發覺養一隻與養兩隻嘅工作量其實差不多，每日的例行公事如拾屎、餵食，散步等反正都要做，只是要拾多一D屎同餵多一隻狗而已。Buddy雖然體型巨大，但性格超可愛溫馴，而且和Plato很玩得來。每次看見Plato與Buddy玩到癲晒的模樣，就覺得一切都是值得。

促請警方儘快起訴貓界林過雲

自2008年7月中開始, 無間斷地向貓義工埋手, 領養貓兒回家虐待至死, 再藉詞貓兒走失, 繼而伺機向相同義工再度領養。八個月間, 朱某向不同義工索取共16隻貓兒, 可惜義工們一直不知道自己己把貓兒送入虎口。

2008年9月, 其中一隻貓兒有幸被其中一位義工接回, 但接回後口中的犬齒給人齊口打斷, 並體重於一個月間下降了25%!

2009年3月, 事件曝光, 各義工遂組隊捉拿朱某。當時朱某亦親口承認遺棄了貓兒, 義工亦把過程攝錄下來放了上youtube。

其實鐵証如山, 證明朱先生遺棄動物並虐待貓隻。但奈何警方跟隨一貫手法漠視虐待動物個案, 更曾向傳媒提及此案「證據不足」,企圖敷衍了事。

幸好得立法會議員陳克勤先生相助, 敦促了警方正視問題, 現在我們已經得到警方回應陳議員: 警方已拘捕朱某, 並且朱某現正保釋中, 警方亦考慮會起訴朱某。

但考慮是不夠的, 我們需要的是警方實實在在地工作, 加速去起訴朱先生, 不要該疑人逍遙法外。

愛動物的你, 請簽名支持我們。讓警方知道, 虐待動物案件, 不是沒人關注的!!!

促請警方儘快起訴貓界林過雲

One big happy family

Meet the new member of my family. His name is Buddy. Some dog lovers found him wandering around near Shing Mun Reservoir. He was smart enough to follow them home, and for two months he's been shut up in a cramped public housing apartment. I found him on a pet adoption website, and liked him immediately. He's absolutely gigantic, and reaches up to my waist standing up, but so very gentle and almost regal in bearing. I think of him as the Rolls Royce of dogs.
The people who found him belong to a group of people who regularly go out and rescue dogs from the pound. Today they paid me a visit to check up on Buddy, and I made them an apple pie, served with vanilla ice cream. It was a little too sweet, and I think I put too much nutmeg in, plus the pie top was a bit too dry. Not too shabby for a first effort, though. My guests were super nice. They brought a whole bunch of snacks for the dogs, and lots of boney treats. Both Buddy and Plato were tired out at the end of the day from all the chewing!

Perez made me cry!

And this 47 year old single unemployed women from Glasgow named Susan Boyle who appeared on the show Britain's Got talent is the reason why.

Watch it here!

This video got a million hits on Youtube in 2 days. You gotta see it to believe it.

太負面？

今天答問會後又有觀眾說我的電影對同性戀的描寫太負面，會否擔心教壞青少年，或會成為某些人抗擊同性戀的武器呢？我說：「佢地要咁樣諗係佢地嘅問題，你唔好以為你唔camp唔吸毒那些人會放過你，佢地一樣會話你係死基佬！唔好為那些人而活啦。」

Thank you fans!

那天Q&A大部分人一出字幕就蜂踴離場，心裡難免有點不是味兒，終於俾我發現部戲原來都有人鍾意架(雖然是上次G&L Film Fest 的觀眾)，所以要學傅頴講句：Thank you fans!

I am surprised but happy to learn that "愛到盡" will be shown in the coming HKIFF this year. You know, gay films seldom have chances to be shown in the local cinemas as there is barely gay director (no matter he is good or bad) in Hong Kong nor any local straight director will dare to touch the gay issues. Just hope the talent of the director and the actors of this film can reach out to more movie goers besides gay people.

I saw "愛到盡" in G & L Film Festival last year. It is a rare movie dealing with the mundane lives of the "local", not exclusively, gay people in search of love after self-hatred, betrayal and desertion. The best "Hong Kong" gay movie I have ever seen as it is truly and openly, and more than that, the director has gusts to draw the bitter portrait of a young local gay junkie, who probably lives among us, with graphic sexual details. It is a rare gay film with heart and the director deserves our commendations and encouragement to make more about gay lives which are of every one of us.

Until now, I still can't forget the last shot of this sad but honest movie. The eloquence of the director’s effort in speaking the story and the realistic performance of the actors in this film make it the most unforgettable in the years to come. To me, I guess, it is a landmark of the local gay film made about the local gay people. I highly recommend it to all of you who loves not only gay films but films.

End of Love Review

Film Review: End of Love

By Elizabeth Kerr, 三月 24, 2009 02:53 ET

Bottom Line: Imperfect but subtlely compelling drama steers clear of the cliches that define gay Asian cinema.

More Hong Kong Filmart reviews

HONG KONG -- If there was a hallmark of queer cinema in Asia, it would be its never-ending and tired focus on the angst involved in simply being gay. One more gay high school student with a crush on his straight best friend, and buckets of requisite I-wish-I-wasn't-gay agony will be one too many.

Hong Kong indie filmmaker Simon Chung ("Innocent") steers clear of that ditch and turns in his most assured film to date with "End of Love," a simple drama about a young man trying to find his own footing vis-a-vis personal morality and the capacity for emotional connection. Chung's handling of Asian homosexuality may be a little too mature and blunt for general release in Asia, but broad spectrum and niche (gay, Asian) festivals are sure to be drawn to the film.

Ming (Lee Chi-kin) is an aimless 22-year-old when he enters into his first serious relationship with Yan (Alex Wong). After he and his mother argue about him being gay, she dies and he's suddenly independent and forced to find his own way. Then conflict starts to seep into the dynamic between he and Yan; Ming falls in with the wrong drug-positive crowd, starts turning tricks and eventually winds up in a Christian rehab. There he meets Keung (Guthrie Yip), and though he may not be as open to conversion as Keung, his time in rehab brings him personal clarity.

That Ming's problems don't stem from his homosexuality is a breath of fresh air in an industry that is more comfortable using gay characters in melodramatic tragedies -- almost as cautionary tales. Ming's issues are not with being gay, but with intimacy and trust. But Chung doesn't make any attempt to sugarcoat some of the less glamorous aspects of gay life in Hong Kong. He captures the fleeting, surreptitious nature of some gay interactions with a nonjudgmental camera that makes Ming's epiphanies stark by contrast.

Lee turns in a naturalistic performance as a man coming to understand himself that is grounded in reality (Chung claims the character was based on a friend of his), and it proves to be the foundation that keeps the sporadically predictable story engaging.

Coffee with Simon Chung Tak-sing

March 20, 2009

Coffee with Simon Chung Tak-sing

By Nigel Collett

Simon Chung's latest offering End of Love - both screenings at the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival are sold out - tells the story of a gay rent boy who meets a recovering heroin addict at a Christian drug rehab centre.

It could be said, with only some exaggeration, that Simon Chung Tak-sing is a good half of the Hong Kong gay film industry (Kit Hung being the other major part), though exaggeration, as I found when I took coffee with him at Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents Club, is not something to which he is greatly prone. He is as disarmingly modest about what he has done for gay cinema in Hong Kong in the last ten years as he is about the position he is currently achieving in the industry. His most recent film, End of Love, was shown as the preview at this year's Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and he is now in the middle of directing a half hour Cantonese TV drama entitled Guilt and Repentance (a straight story, this time, his first) for Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). Local recognition is clearly following the critical acclaim his works have won worldwide. Born in Hong Kong some few decades back – "No, I don't think I should tell you my age", he replied to my inevitable question – Chung went to school in Toronto, Canada at the age of fifteen then stayed there to major in film at the city's York University. He returned to Hong Kong to make videos for commercials and karaoke discs. In the technical department at Baptist University, he started to make his first independent short films, then took a Masters in Cultural Studies at the Chinese University. Now, when not behind the camera, he is a Research Associate in the field of interior design at a third Hong Kong university, Polytech U. Since his four shorts, he has made two feature films, the earlier being Innocent, which was released in 2004. All his films to date have had gay subjects, and I asked him whether this was a good thing. "Gay films are a niche," he replied, "but also a cage, as they limit how people see you as a director." "The expectations of gay audiences can be a bit limiting too," he added. "Most young audiences are disappointed if there is no coming out story or a slushy romance; my films don't fit this paradigm. I don't just want to celebrate gay life with pretty love stories. I want to show the darker sides of gay life, and gay audiences don't always appreciate seeing that." Though a gay man himself, and one with no hang ups about being out in any of the worlds he inhabits, Chung now feels he'd like to do some less overtly gay work. His current filming for RTHK is the start of this. Chung started making short films as far back as 1992, when he made his first short, Chiwawa Express. Since then three of Chung's short films have been released on disc, two in the collection Stanley Belovedand First Love and Other Painsin 1998 and 1999 respectively. Stanley Beloved was also included in the collection Banana Queers. Here he was in good company, the other directors being Quentin Lee, who made the Canadian film Ethan Mao, Tony Ayres (Walking on Water) of Australia and Ray Yeung, maker of the British film Cut Sleeve Boys. Stanley Beloved has been shown worldwide and has won prizes in Spain, Germany and the US. His other short, Life is Elsewhere, made in 1996, won a prize in Japan as well as the distinguished award at the Hong Kong Independent and Short Film and Video Awards, which subsequently issued it as part of a collection on DVD. Innocent, his first full length feature film, was in part autobiographical. It tells a story a bit like his own. A Chinese family emigrates to Toronto, where their gay teenage son (played by Hong Kong AIDS Concern's Tim Lee) undergoes many of the unsettling settling-in experiences Chung had gone through himself. The film was shown at Hong Kong film festivals in 2004-5, as well as gay film festivals in North America, Thessalonika and Toronto, where it won an award at the Reel Asian Film Festival in 2005. Top of page: Simon Chung (left); above: screenshots from Chung's second feature End of Love. Chung's latest film, End of Love, has yet to find a buyer and thus is not yet out on disc, so for those of you who missed it at the festival this year, I should explain that it is a study of some of the more controversial aspects of gay life, Chung once again refusing to serve up sentiment to his audience. This time Chung focuses in on issues like how to negotiate the boundaries of love and sex, the rent boy scene, and drugs and rehabilitation. The inspiration for much of the plot was the true tales told him by one of his friends, who is a rent boy but who nevertheless manages to hold onto a long term partner. There are no hard and fast judgments in this film, no heroes and no real villains (just a lot of weak willed souls like the rest of us) and life's messiness is reflected in the ambivalent way Chung treats his themes. He shows the good and bad sides of drugs – "drugs can be immensely spiritual, restorative" he comments, a view which has been unfashionable since flower-power days and one which he does not hide behind in the film, which also portrays the disaster to which addiction can lead. He is similarly ambivalent about the Christians who man the voluntary rehabilitation centres. These really do exist in some number in Hong Kong's New Territories. The Hong Kong authorities give those convicted of drugs offences the choice of incarceration in the hard government centre on the island of Heiling Chau or an easier life in centres run by Christian social workers. The downside of these is the expectation of conformity with the tenets of faith and submission to processes based on religious belief and prayer. Those who run these centres, though they see the world in the black and white terms which Chung abhors, nevertheless do achieve some good, their relapse rate, it is said, being less than that achieved by the government. All this may make End of Love sound a very serious film; it is far from being a bore, of course, at times managing to be both amusing and arousing as well as provoking. The professional cast (only one of whom, I confessed to being surprised to learn, is gay) succeed in portraying credible, some even attractive, characters and in indulging in some very raunchy and at times violent sex scenes. The film's principal lead, Lee Chi Kin, who takes the part of Ah Ming, the teenager who is ejected from his home and ends up as a prostitute, came to the film from the making of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, in which he'd taken the part of Tony Leung's stand in during practice for the film's nude scenes. Such professional actors and film crew weigh heavily on an independent film maker's budget. Until End of Love, Chung financed all his work by grants from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, clearly one part of the Hong Kong Government which is not afraid to 'sponsor' gay culture. Nowadays, though, the demand for grants exceeds supply and for his last film he was forced to finance part of the film himself. With sale and distribution of gay films being so difficult, making them is very much a labour of love, a fact of which the community, I feel, tends to remain ignorant or indifferent, but for which it is clearly in Chung's debt. So partly for commercial and partly for cultural reasons, Chung's next film is likely to have a theme at least slightly outside the gay niche he has so far dominated in Hong Kong. He is not letting slip yet what his ideas for this will be, but the twinkle in his eye while he refused to answer this, my last question, indicated that whatever it is, his next film is going to be something as challenging and interesting as those with which he has entertained and stimulated us so far. 'End of Love' (in Cantonese ) will be screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on Mar 24 at 9.30 pm and Apr 10 at 9pm at the Hong Kong Science Museum Lecture Hall. Tickets are sold out.

「影展戲」和「娛樂片」

多栽培娛樂片新導演

文章日期：2009年3月23日

【明報專訊】香港曾經有很多娛樂片導演，做出了驕人的票房，但近年的新導演，拍娛樂片的少之又少。

新導演要成功，拍娛樂片比拍影展片機會低。作為新人，一出道就走商業路線，電影不賣座固然受批評，賣座也多半不受認同，覺得是暴發戶。

走偏門題材，目標鎖定影展，反而較易受注目。大影展不成，全世界有形形色色的小影展，不愁沒機會。

某些題材例如同性戀，能參展的機會十分高，去過影展，電影不一定賣得好，但至少導演名字有人記得。

走了影展路線，轉回拍娛樂片，並不容易。導演心態是其中一個問題。

有電影人形容去影展如吸毒一樣，會上癮的。在那種場面被厚待過，或見到拿獎的是如此地風光，很難願意媚俗拍商業片。

萬一轉拍娛樂片失敗，回頭更難。而且，拍娛樂片有另一套語言、另一種思維，甚至比拍影展片難掌握。

拍了一兩部影展片的導演，會被看成非商業導演，替投資者賺不到錢的話，再開戲會有點困難。

除非拿過大獎，不然兩三年才拍成一部藝術片是很合理的，有些影迷還認為構思籌備得愈久，愈值得期待。

幾年拍一部戲如何過活呢？娛樂片導演一年拍三幾部戲沒問題，市場絕對可以消化，生活自然也好一點。

早年走過影展路線的導演，在大市淡靜的情況下，開戲愈感困難，好幾個其實早有意願想走娛樂片路線，可惜不能話改風格便改，要投資者相信才行。

其實，電影圈應多栽培娛樂片新導演，對影市未來最有幫助。

郭繾澂

首先現在不是太多的導演一年開三幾部戲，拍娛樂片的三幾年才開一部也大有人在。

而生活好不好，除了物質外，也視乎所做的事有沒有滿足感、有沒有意義吧。

至於所謂「影展戲」和「娛樂片」的分野是由市場(包括影展市場)主導，而不是導演計算出來的。現在的商業片市場是畸型的，只容許某類型電影得以上映，才令「影展戲」和「娛樂片」兩極化。在健康和多元化的市場內，是可以讓兩種電影都找到其目標觀眾的。不過這種市場除了歐洲某些國家外已很難找到。

作者說同性戀題材參展機會十分高恐怕是他一廂情願的看法吧，既然這麼容易，不如陳慶嘉導演也拍一部同性戀電影，揚威康城為港增光吧！

禁毒宣傳

禁毒常務委員會和禁毒處年花數以億計的公帤宣傳禁毒訊息，近年的工作集中在青少年濫藥和軟性毒品的禁毒宣傳。但吊詭的是青少年濫藥的數字不跌反升，索K的年青人更增加了超過三成，究竟當局如何評估有關宣傳的成效？更諷刺的是吸食海洛英的人數在沒有任何宣傳下卻年年下跌，但大家卻卻仍努力把頭埋在沙下，繼續假裝禁毒宣傳有效。

是非顛倒

這是一個是非顛倒的年代，賣毒債卷、把毒資產的風險轉嫁給其他把引致全球經濟危機的人可繼續享受榮華富貴，兩個藏有0.5克毒品的年青人卻被打成落水狗。看記者會上那個唱片公司高層那個正氣澟然的模樣只覺好笑，彷彿當自己演一場一義滅親的戲。政府官員也陪大家一齊癲出來說三道四，大家怎麼不檢討一下為何要以藝人為榜樣？管教子女從來都不是明星偶像的職責，整件事中最抵鬧的是不負責任的父母，其次是那些跟著大家起哄，其實私底下所作所為有過之而無不及的娛樂圈中人。

熊秉文評《愛到盡》

香港唯一參展作品，則是鍾德勝執導的《愛到盡》，電影延續導演對少年同志的關注，但是，當中不少對香港同志的描 述，實在沉淪得令人愕然。作為本土唯一的同志影展，選映有關作品，是認同香港同志圈的狀況確實如此可悲嗎？電影後段一場口口聲聲說愛你，然後作出的不安全 性行為，更是備受指責。正當影展近年透過舉行錄像比賽，並在世界愛滋病日作主題放映，藉以強調關懷愛滋，是次選映有關電影，着實是一大諷刺！

Survival of Hong Kong cinema rests with independent film makers

Survival of Hong Kong cinema rests with independent film makers
By Elizabeth Kerr

The concept of independent cinema is a difficult one to characterize. Most well-developed film industries comprise several tiers but few are as inherently mercenary - or independent - as Hong Kong's independent cinema can range from the one extreme to another. American filmmaker Robert Rodriguez became famous for financing his first feature, El Mariachi, with his Visa card and from the money he earned by volunteering as a guinea pig for pharmaceutical tests. George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - was self-financed to the tune of $115 million. By rights, it also qualifies as an indie film.

Hong Kong's industry is partially subsidized, similar to its counterparts in Britain, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. It's common practice in most countries that don't have Hollywood's ready private capital and where filmmakers must rely heavily on publicly funded arts councils. Almost all films produced in Hong Kong are cobbled together with financing from an assortment of sources - be it governments , councils, or private business. In the wake of the first Hong Kong Asian Independent Film Festival (HKAIFF) this past November, the question arises, as to whether the independent cinema industry in Hong Kong is healthy enough to sustain, especially considering there's some doubt such industry actually exists.

In 2005, Hong Kong produced approximately 55 feature films, according to the Film Services Office - down from close to 100 a decade earlier. The way director Pang Ho-cheung (Isabella, A/V) sees it, "Since the close of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, the Hong Kong movie industry is mainly an independent film industry." Some of that is by choice, some of necessity. "I'm an indie filmmaker. It's not a choice. It's a vocation," says filmmaker Simon Chung (Innocent). "My films so far, have dealt with subjects that may not interest the mainstream industry, like homosexuality and drugs." That's an odd position for a director to find himself in when almost everything produced in Hong Kong is "independent." The few remaining big players, or "studios" - Media Asia and Emperor spring to mind - are tightening their production budgets. As Lawrence Wong, chairman of independent distributor Ying E Chi pointed out in this paper in November, "investors are very conservative, and they count on formulaic box office hits." That translates to lots of starlets and boy bands, when not already committed to co-producing big budget Mainland-targeted epics like Red Cliff or The Warlords.

But as is the case in any industry, experiences and opinions are often disparate. "Hong Kong has an indie film scene, but not really an industry," theorizes Chung. "The Arts Development Council regularly gives out small grants to filmmakers, which are often insufficient for feature length projects, and filmmakers have to seek out other funding sources, such as industry investment or, more often, their own money, to make their films."

Producer Rosa Li concurs with both Pang and Chung ... sort of. "(I'm) not sure if you can call it an 'industry' but yes there are independent films in Hong Kong. By 'independent' I mean independent development, financing and production," she explains with particular reference to Kenbiroli Films, the production house she co-founded with director Kenneth Bi (The Drummer, Rice Rhapsody). "Several directors we know work this way. They develop their own material and seek investors on a film-by-film basis."

The state of the industry - or scene - is another issue altogether. Chung sees a silver lining in the current cloud hovering over filmmaking in Hong Kong. "In a year when the mainstream industry is experiencing (yet another) downturn, there (were) about a dozen indie features made in 2008." There is support for budding Johnnie To's out there, chiefly in the form of council funding. Along with the Arts Development Council, there are public resources to keep the industry alive: The Film Development Fund, while not new, received a HK$300 million cash infusion in 2007 and the newly established Hong Kong Film Development Council was founded to shepherd the entire industry with a more focused eye, toward long-term stability.

But many artists still rely on their own legwork. With council money usually falling short, as Chung points out, filmmakers need to be willing and able to tap a lot more sources. Li sees a future in regional co-productions, and Kenbiroli always puts together all its own funding. Pang, at his company, Making Film, is more of a fly-by- the-seat-of-the-pants type of director. "Borrowing Chairman Mao's words, we are 'touching the stone to pass the river'," meaning he prefers crossing each production bridge when he comes to it. "I think a golden rule for independent movie makers is that they should not be limited by (others') requests to create. Instead, they should be proactive in developing projects ... so that they can control the entire production till the end."

When it comes down to it, though, making any film is pointless if there's no one willing to watch it and those who are willing are unable to. Whose job is it to ensure audiences get an opportunity to see indie films? Ironically the independent industry such as it is, relies on the same fundamentals as Hollywood, Bollywood, and beyond. "Cinemas have to make money to stay open - it won't help if we have a lot of art house cinemas but nobody goes to them. Ultimately the films have to be appealing to the audience," says Li. "Nowadays ... (when cinemas) put on an independent film and the tickets are not selling well in the first two days, they will cut the movie.

Cinema owners would rather put on the same popular movie in all seven mini theatres," Pang agrees, before warning, "Of course, they can make more money but in the long run, this is not healthy." Pang's biggest issue with that line of thinking is the negative impact it has on the local industry. There's supporting evidence to be found in the 55 features made in 2005. Most of them were vehicles for moderately-talented starlets. With a shrinking industry, Pang believes content becomes a growing problem. For viewers, a clear Hong Kong cinematic voice is lost.
Chung, however, sees a larger problem, which he calls the cultural factor. "I feel that there are fewer and fewer people who seek out unusual or out of the way movies in Hong Kong," he states. Judging from the record-breaking box office numbers over Christmas, he could be right. "The cinema culture is very much about seeing the latest blockbuster hit. In other countries blockbusters also dominate, but not so much that they crowd out everything else."

Berlin Journal #3

The next day I went to the Panorama lunch. I was seated next to a British guy named Wash West, and the name didn't register with me until he mentioned that he had previously made The Fluffer. "Wait a minute, you're the Wash West who made all those prom films?" I'd never seen any of his films, porn or otherwise, but I've read enough about him to know that he was a legend in the industry for making stylized gay porn that had great lighting, camera work and even a decent storyline. This is a self-made man with no formal film school training, who taught himself how to make films by making adult films! I was all the more surprised that he was not at all what I expected of a porn director. By that I mean the man sitting next to me was not in the least sleazy or even jaded. Wash radiated positive energy; he was cheerful, and nice in the best sense of the word.

Staying true to my resolution to see films by directors I'd personally met and liked, I went to see Pedro, whose director was at the same lunch (Wash West was the producer). Another great choice. I loved the lead actor, he was so cute! My friends at m-appeal, however, disliked Pedro for being too much like TV.

Berlin Journal #2

The next day I had three interviews scheduled. One was for a gay TV channel. They made me stand in the cold to answer questions about the China gay scene. Go figure. The next was for the Teddy awards, and the third with some magazine. The reporter looked like she was about 15. I went on and on about the virtue of drugs.

Then we were off to the Panorama reception. Norman introduced me to Jackie Pang of Jettone Films. I hope she remembers me when we get back to Hong Kong. Then I met Cheng Yu-chieh, a director from Taiwan. I liked him immediately, and decided to go see his film, Yang Yang. It was one of my better decisions. The film started out as a typical Taiwanese school romance, two girls in love with the same boy and all that jazz, but it became something a lot more towards the middle. The heroine is a French-Chinese girl, played by Cheng Yung Yung, and her performance was superb, and perfectly captures the feeling of being an outsider in Taiwan. I decided to make it a policy to go and watch films by directors I have met and liked.

Berlin journal #1

I told people that I had no expectations coming to Berlin, but I must have been lying, for as I sat in the lobby of the International cinema looking out the window to the gathering dusk outside, a sense of depression came over me. Perhaps it was the austere Soviet era decor of the cinema, or the wide boulevard filled with concrete blocks outside, but the overwhelming feeling I had was: 'Is this it?' This is what I had been waiting for my entire life, the chance to show my work at one of the Big Three international film festivals, and here I was, at the world premiere of my latest film, and it hit me that it was just a festival.

Was I expecting fans? Photographers? I don't know. Soon the film ended and I went back into the cinema. The presenter called the director of the short that preceded mine on stage. After a couple of questions he called me to go on. Nobody asked any questions except the presenter's friend, who "praised" the film by saying that it is melodramatic, which is somethings Germans don't usually see on film. I was taken aback, and mumbled that my film is probably closer to Fasbinder than Ozu on the melodrama scale (whatever that means). With that inane exchange the Q&A was over and I went to have dinner with my German distributors.

Distributors act fast!

Back from Berlin. Exhausted from a week of parties and screenings. A little disappointed that I did not get as much media exposure as I had hoped. But here's something from the respectable Financial Times. I'm especially pleased because this is clearly a tough journalist.

Wackiness that’s serious
By Nigel Andrews
Published: February 15 2009 19:49 Last updated: February 15 2009 19:49

Given time or eternity, it had to happen. As surely as monkeys at typewriters will end up tapping out the works of Shakespeare, a Peruvian film about a woman with a potato in her vagina will – at some point – win the Golden Bear.

This was the year. Not that The Milk of Sorrow, the first Peruvian film entered in competition at Berlin, is artless, let alone primitive. Claudia Llosa’s film sprang into view on the penultimate day, highly wrought in its weirdness, deeply serious in its wackiness, and probably needing only a jury headed by Tilda Swinton, the brightest maverick in the screen-arts establishment, to confer the gilded grizzly.

The film’s Spanish title is La Teta Asustada (The Poisoned Teat), denoting a Peruvian superstition that raped or abused women in strife-ridden times pass the sickness of fear to their suckling babes. The heroine (Magaly Solier), thus infected, keeps a tuber in her pudenda to ward off violation. “Magic realism” doesn’t quite catch Llosa’s style. It is more nutty-as-a-fruitcake naturalism, sometimes deliberately funny, as when a doctor tries to persuade Solier that there are right and wrong places to store root vegetables, sometimes rich with a droll, wise, deadpan all-seeingness. The photographic style is in the best sense faux naïf. The acting, as the story marches towards apocalypse, is neither faux nor naïf but intense, bold, level-gazing.
For most of this Berlinale, anxious bookies had walked the Potsdamerstrasse trying to coax bets on Iran’s About Elly (drowned woman’s death catalyses insights into despotic society), Germany’s Everyone Else (sex-war study) or the Anglo-French London River (races find amity in the terrorist aftermath of July 7 2005), all noted in my last dispatch. No careful person would have put a punt on any for Golden Bear. At the same time, we all knew that each film would win something.

Iran’s Asghar Farhadi was duly named Best Director. London River put Best Actor prize in the hands of Mali-born star Sotigui Kouyate, his quiet grace preferred to the full-steam emoting of co-star Brenda Blethyn. Everyone Else was a double success for the host country, earning Best Actress prize for Birgit Minichmayr and sharing the runner-up Grand Jury Prize with Spain’s Gigante (Giant)), a tender whimsy about a super-sized security guard finding love in a supermarket.

These films at least looked comfortable in a festival competition: more than could be said for Peter Strickland’s bafflingly lauded (by some) Katalin Varga, a sort of Cold Comfort Tundra working up rape-and-revenge shenanigans in Romania; or the trite comedy, The One and Only, dramatising the boyhood memoirs of actor George Hamilton, with Renee Zellweger doing her best as eccentric, toujours gai mum.

Even Theo Angelopoulos and Chen Kaige, those godfathers of modern art cinema, made us offers too easy to refuse. The Greek director’s The Dust of Time has a poly-accented cast – Bruno Ganz, Irène Jacob, Willem Dafoe – slogging through a symbol-laden seminar on human migration in a xenophobic world. The Chinese director’s Forever Enthralled is a lacklustre clone of Farewell, My Concubine, its spectacle and drama resembling yesterday’s stage sets.

No, the festival fringe, as often at Berlin, was the place to be. Distributors, please act fast to acquire Simon Chung’s End of Love, a bold, compelling tale of drugs and bisexual love, proving that little has changed for filmmaking in Hong Kong thankfully since the handover. The place clearly is a “special administrative region”. Now will the Chinese government let the rest of China catch up?

And I saw again, because my admiration for Henrik Hellström and Fredrik Wenzel’s 75-minute gem grew through invidious comparison with other films, Sweden’s extraordinary Burrowing. In a tale of the suburban versus the sylvan, prologued by a Thoreau quote, a new kind of cinema grows before our eyes. There is barely a plot, merely the movements and voice-overs of three or four vari-aged characters, choreographed near-abstractly as “children of life” midway between nature and nurture. It is lyrical, mysterious, dazzlingly photographed and, in every sense that cinema can bear, poetic.

搵笨鬧鬼廣告

93年的KCR 鬧鬼廣告，大家講到似層層，有說被鬼"疊住"的小孩死左，有說全部都活不過X歲，當年全城起哄，街頭巷尾都有人談論，結果KCR要抽起廣告唔播。關鍵在於第27秒肥仔後面有個低著頭的女仔壘住佢，但到左end shot 肥仔是最後面嗰個，咁壘住佢嘅係...好驚呀！

其實只不過係唔連戲，這情況一開始已經有。比如在14秒可看見戴帽男孩後面是女仔，到20秒他後面又變了男仔，到了迎面shot又變返"男女男女男女"的次序，尾shot導演可能覺得吊帶褲得意D咪又叫肥仔企最後咯。就咁俾個廣告呃左咁多年，真係唔抵。

人面桃花

昨天剛巧是《愛到盡》殺科一周年，想不到一班演員和工作人員還有機會聚首一堂。一年後大家各有發展，志健做了空少，Connie和Clifton轉了工，Ben組織了新跳舞組合，Gutherie繼續一劇接一劇，Jessey找到了愛情，而我就實現了一個很重要的夢想...

Part 2 of that long-winded interview with Fridae

钟德胜：用电影来倒影生活

文字 蓝蝴蝶

Fridae：你的新作《爱到尽》，作为唯一一部入选这次香港同志影展2008的香港本土作品，你有什么 感想呢？ 没什么 特别的感觉，其实在香港这类型的电影并不多，回顾过去10年的香港同志影展，属于本土的出品每年都只有一到两部。最终只能说明的是，在香港并不是有太多人拍这类型的电影。 Fridae：其实《爱到尽》，也是延续了你之前几部同性恋作品的风格？几位男主角都是比较年轻的丶迷惘与反叛的那类人。是什么 令到你把眼光，放到去这个介于「成年与未成年」之间的人之中呢？ 有一部分，算是延续吧。至于，连续几部作品都以「反叛青年」来作主角的原因是，曾经的我也是这样的人。 其实，很多同性恋者的成长都会经历过「反叛期」，令到他们反抗的原因除了是源于父母丶家庭之外，还有的是和其他人在传统价值丶其他社会观点的不同。虽然，他们的经历不一定像我在电影中表现的那样，但反叛的结果都是要用很长的时间来作这类型的磨合期，来适应这个社会。 Fridae：想透过《爱到尽》来表达什么 呢？ 我想表达的是爱的反面，在戏里面所看到的爱不单止是同性恋的爱丶还包括异性恋的爱和母子之间的爱。但，都是那一种带着病态的不健康的爱，他们对爱有很大的 执着和依恋，对爱的人有很大的要求，甚至不顾一切。我想说的是这些人对爱的不健康的态度，就如电影名字所阐述的「爱到尽」那样。 Fridae：有没有去思考过，《爱到尽》和自己之前的三部同性恋作品，有哪些不一样的地方？ 我也希望自己的每一部新作都会进步和改变，《爱到尽》会比之前两部旧作的剧情紧凑，故事丶人物的关系也会显得复杂。 Fridae：接下来，还有什么 新的计划啊？ 现在正在写下一部作品，或许会继续写一部同性恋的故事来开拍。 Fridae：一连几部长片作品都是同性恋的题材，会不会担心别人误会你是同性恋者呢？ 我是同性恋者，但我没有去公开过，也没有刻意隐瞒过，就是没有人来问过我。我想我的家人也应该从我过去的几部电影中，知道我同性恋者的身份。 Fridae：你是用什么 态度来对待自己同志的身份？ 没什么 特别感觉，对于自己的同志身份，也没有过很大的挣扎。 Fridae：会不会把自己的经历，放到电影中去呢？ 或多或少会把自己的经历放到电影中去，不一定会很真实的呈现出来，但总会有一些属于我自己的记忆的痕迹。 Fridae：有没有觉得现在的社会，对待同性恋者的态度豁达了很多，没有以前那样的敏感呢？ 不觉得，其实现阶段的香港社会丶大众对待同性恋者的态度都没有太大的改变。就拿我看我的电影的观众来说吧，绝大部分的都是同性恋者，很难去发现会有异性恋者去买票看我的作品。 Fridae：有没有计划将自己的同性恋电影，推广给大众？ 我始终觉得是我很难做到的事情，起码一部主流的电影推出去的话，都要花上一大笔的宣传经费，还有电影的主角也要请很主流丶很红的演员来参演，才有推广出去的可能。但，目前来说我还没有打算去拍这样的一部电影。 Fridae：那有没有想过去请很主流的艺人来拍你的独立作品？ 其实筹备《爱到尽》的时候，我想过请陈冠希来做电影的主角的，因为他的形象比较反叛，气质也很贴近这部戏的男主角。只是，后来档期和一些意外的发生，而没有去请他来演。 Fridae：工作之外，你会不会也去看其他华人导演拍摄同性恋题材电影呢，哪一部比较令你印象深刻？ 有留意过，印象比较深刻的是内地的导演刘冰鉴的《男男女女》，这个故事的编剧是崔子恩，我对电影里面那些错综复杂的情感纠葛研究了很久很久。 Fridae：有没有去想过，同性恋群体的未来，你会有哪些期望呢？ 并没有太多特别的期望，这个世界还有很多议题会比同性恋重要的，例如环保丶经济海啸等等。另外，我也不太喜欢将同性恋的议题放大来看，就如我的电影也不会把单单把焦点放在同性恋上，里面还有爱丶容忍丶宽恕等等更大的议题。 Fridae：你有什么 话，想对观看过你的电影的观众说的吗？ 没有什么 特别的说话想说，想说的都在电影中透露了。