April 27, 2009, [MD]
Yes, that is the unlikely title of a short film that I collaborated in recording in Hong Kong two weeks ago. To find out why, we have to go way back in time. One day in Toronto, my friend told me about this crazy Norwegian lady who was teaching Cantonese in Hong Kong. We went on Youtube and found several interviews of Cecilie, even a documentary, and saw that she was indeed really fluent in Cantonese, and also quite feisty.
So when I was in HK for a few days this summer, on a whim I sent her an email and said, fellow Norwegian in town, would you care to meet up? And she got back to me saying, we're shooting a movie, care to dress up like a gangster and act ridiculous? Of course, that's one of my favorite things to do, so I was instantly in. The next two days, a bunch of gwailo spent hours practicing their Cantonese lines (I speak Mandarin, but not Cantonese - the others were better, but none as fluent as Cecilie), and running around in back alleys with big whigs and ketchup wounds, to the joy and befuddlement of the Hong Kong seniors sitting on benches and watching. The result is now available for your enjoyment:
Cantonese - The Movie, Episode 19: Killer Tattoo Death Dragon Master Black Hand Massacre Misunderstanding from Cecilie Gamst Berg on Vimeo.
(can also be found on Youtube together with her previous movies)
Might contain coarse language, gratuitious violence, and very poor disguises, viewer discretion is advised)
Stian
Stian Håklev April 27, 2009 Toronto, Canada comments powered by Disqus