At the end of "Elegies," Ann Hui is asked by other poets why she made a documentary about Hong Kong poetry. She replied that during many difficult and oppressive times, the poems she read during school days became her talisman, where she finds consolation and comfort. Compared to narrative films, the literary type of subject matter, especially in documentary form, might not attract much investment or audience attention. However, Hong Kong cinema needs more such works to parallel the commercial trend. This intimate exploration of Hong Kong poets and contemporary poems is also a deeply personal project for the director to fruition during the uncertainty of Covid-19 period.
Hsi Hsi and Yesi, whose poetry is featured in the documentary, have passed away, while Huang Canran and Liu Waitong, the focal poets of the film, have relocated from Hong Kong. Although the life of a poet in Hong Kong is difficult, the pursuit of a distinctly modern, local identity in Hong Kong poetry has been lasting. In 1997, Hui's documentary "As Time Goes By" reflected on both the personal and the historical; now, as Hong Kong faces another historical transition, the release of "Elegies" seems far from coincidental.
Ann Hui was born in Anshan, moved to Macau, and grew up in Hong Kong. She studied poetry in the Comparative Literature Department at the University of Hong Kong and later went to London to study film. As we see in "Elegies," poetry reflects her faith and aspirations. For many viewers, names like Huang Can-ran, or Liu Wai-tong, along with their poetry, may be unfamiliar. Yet this documentary introduces and intricately contrasts the two poets showcasing their literary voices through conversations with the director, interwoven with evocative poems. Through the trace of literary legacies, atmospheric and cultural scenes of Hong Kong were left by images anyway.
