”Four Generations, Maritime Stories” Short Movie by Heiward Mak

Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum organises a special exhibition entitled Hong Kong’s Maritime Miracle: The Story of Our City since 1945. It defines Hong Kong’s miraculous rise from the ashes of World War II and the maritime foundation that was vital in remaking the city, in a selection of 25 representative exhibits.

Delivering a new immersive experience through the fusion of art and technology, visitors will be guided through the exhibition by a fictional character named Carmen So featured in a series of five short movies by Hong Kong-based filmmaker Heiward Mak, starring Yatho Wong, Alma Kwok, Nancy Kwai, Sing Lam, Miu Shan Tai and Mr. Jan as the leads. Through the eyes of the fictional Hongkonger in her twenties, the movies weave stories of love and family with the maritime developments in the city and highlight our everyday connections with the maritime world.

This model is one of the earliest Chinese examples of a vessel with a superstructure for crew and passenger accommodation, as well as a centreline steering system and anchor. At this stage cross-members supported the top of the hull's sides, which may have used nail fastenings. These would later be replaced by transverse bulkheads.

Artistic Statement

So Ka-man was born in 1997, the year of the Hong Kong handover. While helping her ex-boyfriend Lee Yat-him curate an exhibition at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, she recalled the love stories of her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Story 1: Ciao

Although each of her female relatives and their lovers lived in different periods, the stories of their relationships with the coast and harbour of Hong Kong were intertwined.

(Film Still from Hong Kong's Maritime Miracle short movie Story 1: Ciao, Courtesy of Heiward Mak )

Story 2: Crow’s nest

In the 1940s, after the Second World War, Victoria Harbour was in chaos, and Lee Po-shan, the first love of So Ka-man’s great-grandmother Chan Gwai-mui, was a diver on a salvage ship.

(Film Still from Hong Kong's Maritime Miracle short movie Story 2: Crow's nest, Courtesy of Heiward Mak )

Story 3: Canal

In the 1960s, So Ka-man’s grandmother and grandfather, Ho Mei-kuen and Wong Yiu-wah, lived in a shack with their two children. In the 1970s, the love Mei-kuen and Yiu-wah had for each other deepened, and they were striving to improving their lives.

(Film Still from Hong Kong's Maritime Miracle short movie Story 3: Canal, Courtesy of Heiward Mak )

Story 4: Clutch

In the 1990s, Hong Kong experienced a wave of mass migration. So Ka-man’s mother and father, Wong Sau-man and So Tsz-leung, were camping in Cheung Chau when Typhoon Ellen hit.

(Film Still from Hong Kong's Maritime Miracle short movie Story 4: Clutch, Courtesy of Heiward Mak )

Story 5: Choice

The views of each generation of So Ka-man’s relatives on love and marriage changed with the times. They had to make a variety of difficult choices to survive and to improve their lives, but they all had similar hopes in terms of “home” and “reunion”.

(Film Still from Hong Kong's Maritime Miracle short movie Story 5: Choice, Courtesy of Heiward Mak )

Behind – The - Scenes

Every work is inseparable from the effort and dedication of the creators. Let's take a look at the making of a series of five short movies for "Hong Kong’s Maritime Miracle: The Story of Our City since 1945" directed by Heiward Mak.

“Hong Kong’s Maritime Miracle: The Story of Our City since 1945”

Date: 24 June 2022 to 30 October 2022

Monday - Friday: 0930 - 1730

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 10:00-19:00

Venue: Hong Kong Maritime Museum Special Exhibitions & Events Gallery and Long Gallery

Know More：https://bit.ly/3wMt9UU

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