Spoiler alert
This is a film about loss and rediscovery. It tells the story of a widowed woman (Heung) and the apprentice (Leo) of her late husband (Bill), a master artisan of neon light signs. They set out to finish Bill's last project -- to recreate a neon light sign so that someone can find his own memories.
Neon light sign boards in a myriad of colors hung on outer walls of high rises above busy streets underneath was once an iconic symbol of the glowing, vibrant and beautiful Hong Kong. In recent years, they have given way to bigger, brighter and yet more energy efficient and easily maintained LED screens or sign boards.
What sets the two apart is the degree of craftsmanship required. Neon signs are made by hand bending glass fluorescent tubes into shapes, patterns, words or even pictures. Because of the sharp decline in demand of neon light signs, few people train as apprentices. The trade is looking at a grim future. The craft is likely going to be lost in a generation.
The Chinese title sums it up pretty well, which reads "the lights are sporadic/dim." This comes from the last line of a very famous lyrical poem about a scene during Chinese Lover's Festival. The two lines before it read, "I search for her in the crowd countless times// suddenly, turning my head// she is right there, where the lights are sporadic/dim."
So, the ending is not as bleak as the Chinese title suggests. The lights may be gone, but you will find the person, someone you want, someone you love. From that, you can extrapolate; hope is not lost, the future is still in your hands.
The theme of loss in the film will find much echo with a Hong Kong audience. The film however, does not only indulge in nostalgia; it actually has a message bigger than that.
This is a film about loss and rediscovery. It tells the story of a widowed woman (Heung) and the apprentice (Leo) of her late husband (Bill), a master artisan of neon light signs. They set out to finish Bill's last project -- to recreate a neon light sign so that someone can find his own memories.
Neon light sign boards in a myriad of colors hung on outer walls of high rises above busy streets underneath was once an iconic symbol of the glowing, vibrant and beautiful Hong Kong. In recent years, they have given way to bigger, brighter and yet more energy efficient and easily maintained LED screens or sign boards.
What sets the two apart is the degree of craftsmanship required. Neon signs are made by hand bending glass fluorescent tubes into shapes, patterns, words or even pictures. Because of the sharp decline in demand of neon light signs, few people train as apprentices. The trade is looking at a grim future. The craft is likely going to be lost in a generation.
The Chinese title sums it up pretty well, which reads "the lights are sporadic/dim." This comes from the last line of a very famous lyrical poem about a scene during Chinese Lover's Festival. The two lines before it read, "I search for her in the crowd countless times// suddenly, turning my head// she is right there, where the lights are sporadic/dim."
So, the ending is not as bleak as the Chinese title suggests. The lights may be gone, but you will find the person, someone you want, someone you love. From that, you can extrapolate; hope is not lost, the future is still in your hands.
The theme of loss in the film will find much echo with a Hong Kong audience. The film however, does not only indulge in nostalgia; it actually has a message bigger than that.
