Research study:The Way We Are (HK 2008)

'The way we are' is the winner of 28th Hong Kong film award by one of the most famous Chinese female director  Ann Hui.  "After years we shouted the slogan of the equality of men and women out load, film is still a world which men predominates. In the last 30 years in Hong Kong film industry, we can always see a figure stands among those men-- she might not be fast and effective, she never earns a lot of money, the only thing is: she wants to do this. Although the achievements of her films are mixed, in Hong Kong, even Asia, no one can compare with her." 【1】She directed more than 20 films, emphasing on the subjects of female, society and ageing of population. Nowadays film is deemed to a 'product' rather than a form of art, fewer and fewer directors are able to express themselves without being bothered by 'market' nor‘box office data'. Ann, however, keeps her passion on the story about 'trivia' life of ordinary people 

The story of 'The way we are' is about a single mother Kui who works in the fruit and veg section of a supermarket with a meager income.The life was repeating day after day, she goes back home after work, cooks simple meals, asks her son if there's a free pack of tissue with today's newspaper...There is no dramatic conflicts in the entire film, however, if we digest every details of this film, the undertones bring all colors back to it. It is like a landscape painting of this neighborhood Tin Sui Wei, with solid shape and the sentiments.

There are two leading female characters in this film, single mother Kui and her neighbor Huan Although life is not smooth for them, they hold different attitudes to it. Kui was born in a  poor family in Hong Kong, when she was young, she worked hard in order to sponsor her brothers' education, after 30 years when all her brothers have successful careers , she, however, doesn't enjoy a   experienced the pain of her husband's death and still living in a poky apartment in poor Tian Shui Wei. In the face of the tough situation, she never complains nor oppressed by the reality, she even tries to help Huan with life trivia. On the other hand, Huan suffers a deep depression of her premature death of her daughter. With the set of this fragrant contrast and delicacy plot line this film pays tributes to ordinary and kind-hearted people who toil up and down the hills of life. 

There are a variety of personalities of female characters in Chinese film history. Humans are social animals, no one can avoid to bring symptomatic of his or her own time.  In the early 30's, the traditional Chinese culture was under a inroad of western thoughts, democracy and science were first introduced to this archaic countries, women were inspired to pursue the rights which were deprived from them for more than 3000 years; 50s was the time of war, women were fashioned into warriors without any personal sentiments. However, when in the 1990s, life attributes to the plain, most of us spend a life long being mediocrities. Huan and Kui, as the microcosm of the society, reflect the mentalities of different generation. 

When I was writing the script of my project‘A perfect normal day', I used some of the part as the reference in order to convey the similar emotion of being loneliness, defensive but deep down she is craving for love and care.For instance there are about 10 different scenes of having meals.Seemingly,they are unnecessary and flat but all the important information that reveals the relations and the underlying disagreements, more importantly, the characterizations are drawn in an indeliberately way. In my script there are scenes of my character Ann does the daily routine such as shopping, cleaning, taking pills  and watch the photo album,highlighted her isolated inner world. 

                        Clip 1 Huan cooks and eats alone

clip 2 Kui helps Huan carry to TV 

             clip 3 Huan spents a sleepless night before meeting her son in law





Reference 
【1】<Hong Kong film> magazine the first issue 11/2007