Documentary backdrop image for What Rules the Invisible (2022)

Documentary backdrop image for What Rules the Invisible (2022)

202210 minPGdoc-short

What Rules the Invisible

202210 minPGdoc-short

Ten minutes of reappropriated amateur footage from the 20th century reveals recurring themes in Hong Kong's travelogues, punctuated by an oral history.

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Synopsis

Ten minutes of reappropriated amateur footage from the 20th century reveals recurring themes in Hong Kong's travelogues, punctuated by an oral history.

People

Tiffany Siadirector

Synopsis

Footage from Hong Kong captures street scenes and cityscapes across the 20th century. The film reappropriates amateur travelogue clips, revealing patterns in how travelers recorded their experiences. One sequence tracks women in cheongsam crossing a busy intersection. Intertitles present an oral history narrated by Sia’s mother, who recounts memories of colonial police and hauntings in postwar Kowloon. The film presents a critical view of the gaze behind the camera and the subjects caught within the frame.

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