City Like Water 逝水流城 + Reading & Discussion
Experimental and Expanded • Discussion
29 Sept 2026 (Tue) • 18:00 • Close-Up Cinema
A programme of experimental artists’ moving image in response to Dorothy Tse 謝曉虹’s novel City Like Water 逝水流城, in which the daily absurdities of Hong Kong’s socio-political transformation metamorphose into surrealist imagery.
The screening will be followed by a reading of Natascha Bruce’s English translation of the book and a discussion with the filmmakers.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the screening.
Presented in collaboration with Fitzcarraldo Editions.
TWENTYTИƎWT
Hong Kong, Germany | 2023 | Colour | 7’
No Dialogue
Dir.: Max Hattler
Filmed from a 36th-floor Hong Kong apartment, this experimental animated documentary captures isolated lives across the cityscape, distilling 2020’s darkness and uncertainty.
Elephant in Castle 城堡裡的大象
Hong Kong | 2021 | Colour | 5’
No Dialogue
Dir.: Florence Yuk-ki Lee 李鈺淇
A hand-drawn 2D animation capturing the artist’s shifting aesthetic, emotional, and tactile response to the city she grew up in.
Tugging Diary 日 ”””’；”””’ 記
Hong Kong | 2021 | Colour | 16’
In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles
Dir.: Yan Wai Yin Winnie 忻慧姸
The film documents a footbridge from August 2019 to January 2021, tracing how community information was posted, altered, and erased over time.
War of Perception 感知戰爭
Hong Kong | 2020 | Colour | 20’
In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles
Dir.: Bo Choy 蔡寶賢
War of Perception follows a spirit medium seeking truth through Hong Kong’s streets, weaving 2019/20 political events with the city’s colonial past and present.
Map of Traces 記憶座標
Hong Kong | 2025 | B&W | 29’
In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles
Dir.: Chan Hau Chun 陳巧真
UK Premiere
Beginning with a letter to an imprisoned acquaintance, the film explores the landscapes of Hong Kong, tracing the gaps between memories and the subtle marks people leave in the city.
