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A game of past, present and future is about to change.
A short documentary about the cricket community and the Hong Kong Cricket Club in the reality of the city; Hong Kong in the context of explored human bonds, dedication to the sport, shared values and unique ethos of the game.
Join us and help us to record the history of the Pearl of the Orient that is Hong Kong!
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Heart of Hong Kong is a short documentary concentrating on the well-known institution of the Hong Kong Cricket Club and the community of players who surround it. Following the personal stories of people engaged in that environment, the film will portray the real image of human bonds and stories through players' passion and dedication to sport in the Hong Kong of current, difficult times. This project is being made thanks to exclusive access to the Hong Kong Cricket Club.
This project is a part of graduation work made at the University of the Arts London.
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Hong Kong is a place with a long, complicated and diverse history, hence it’s not odd the city is a point of contact for different cultures. Bustling with people from all backgrounds, the unique character of society developed over time. The tropes of the nature and values of Hong Kong can be found in different parts of the city, among which one of the least explored ones is the microcosm of cricket and the Hong Kong Cricket Club (HKCC).
The main aim of the documentary is therefore to explore the changing interrelation and roles of the HKCC and the cricket community in the above-mentioned context of Hong Kong.
The HKCC was established in 1851 and is one of the first cricket clubs set outside of England. Originally located down in the centre of the Victoria City, the Central District, it developed through the years by allowing access to a wider range of activities. The location was changed for a quieter and greener Wong Nai Chung Gap in 1975, allowing for further expansion of the Club to provide a larger variety of sports and become more family-oriented.
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The cricket field on Chater Road with Bank of China in the background.
This film will, however, concentrate on the people and what brings them together - cricket.
The game is being played on the island since 1841 and to this day attracts a base of dedicated players: from professionals to amateurs, men to women, seniors to children. Despite people forming tight bonds, the community does not remain hermetic. A growing number of local residents join the group of fans and engage in cricket. Special days are organised to try cricket out, while basic cricket classes for school children are taught on a weekly basis. Children from underprivileged Chinese families are given a chance to enjoy the game as well due to community programmes and make sure the respect and good spirit of the game remain universal. The General Manager of the Hong Kong Cricket Club, Mr Kieran Hale, summarises the values behind it: ‘It doesn’t matter if you play in the finest leagues in the world or in the poorest places on Earth, you will find that the spirit of cricket is common throughout’. This makes the game connect the long-lasting tradition and history with the demographics, pace and character of contemporary Hong Kong.
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One of the cricket lessons for children, early 2000s.
The matches on various skill levels are being played by a number of teams, attracting people to rival each other in the emotional struggles for victory during long games on the few cricket grounds of the metropolis. That is why the Hong Kong Cricket Club, despite being a well established and diversified sports institution, at the heart keeps cricket as its main focal point.
Preparing to celebrate its 170th anniversary, the Club and its members also look forward toward the future - as the generations change, the interest in the sport declines.
Is the community sustainable enough to survive the changes?
What role does it play for the people that belong to it nowadays?
How does the HKCC plan on sustaining it?
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Youth classes at the new Club grounds in the heart of the island, 1980.
Having established contact with the community of the Club as well as the cricket fans within Hong Kong, through this documentary, the following aims will be pursued:
- Explore the community and its changes in the perspective of HK;
- Discover the role of HKCC and game of cricket in sustaining the community;
- Document the personal stories shaping the participation in the community;
- Show a new perspective on the Pear of the Orient - Hong Kong.
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Heart of Hong Kong is a collaborative project, uniting talented people from all around the world. We pride ourself in the diversity of skills and backgrounds (and several time zones) we can contribute toward this project. Find about us yourself:
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Jan Jakub Osiński – Producer and Director
Jan is a Polish London based filmmaker specialising in production, who worked on a number of projects in the UK as well as internationally. He became the laureate of 2019 Xuria competition for short #Love. Naturally curious and knowledgeable, he contacted and visited the Hong Kong Cricket Club personally, trying to find a new perspective on the history and the people of Pearl of the Orient.
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Christine Hsieh – Assistant Producer
Christine is a Taiwanese filmmaker and producer, currently based in London. She has worked on multiple short films, music videos and documentaries. She’s willing to widen her cultural knowledge by taking part in the challenges this documentary will face. She is eager to participate and see this film comes to life.
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Bill Kwok – Researcher
Bill was born in China and raised in Hong Kong. He has been studying Film & Television in London for 3 years now and he is happy to go back to his roots and look into the culture with a fresh view. During his time in the UK, he has directed and edited several short documentaries, making his background and experience invaluable to the film.
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Ana Nakamura – Editor
Ana is a Portuguese filmmaker based in London, specialised in directing and editing. Working in and out of university projects, she was laureate of the 2019 Xuria competition with Jan Osiński for a short #Love. Curious of the film’s potential, she joined as an editor, hoping to convey the interest in discovering a different culture to the viewers.
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Shikhar Shrivastava – Music Composer
Shikhar studied music composition at the Point Blank School in London and worked as an assistant music director in the Indian film industry. He has been a part of background scoring team of an Indian feature film Saand Ki Ankh and has also worked on Cartoon Network show Lamput. He is passionate about enhancing the narratives of the storytellers through music.
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Matt Tam – Graphic Designer
Matt is a graphic designer and photographer from Hong Kong, currently studying Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, London. Coincidentally, his family are members of the Hong Kong Cricket Club. He is super grateful to be a part of a project that highlights the city in a positive light.
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Mariana Leal – Animator
Mariana Leal is a Portuguese animator, who is always ready for a challenge. She has not only worked as a freelancer animating and directing animated music videos but also did an internship at the Sardinha Em Lata animation studio and as an assistant in construction for the stop-motion film The Peculiar Crime of Mr. Jay. She is looking forward to bringing this project’s images to life.
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Carolina Machado - Crowdfunding and PR manager
Carolina is a Portuguese student of Creative Advertising, based in London. She has always been interested in the definition of community and having lived in Hong Kong, this project is very close to her heart. Always up for a challenge, she’s ready to face all adversities to help this project fulfil its true potential.
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The sum of £2,500 is the minimum required to cover the costs of travel, accommodation, living and production in Hong Kong. Our aim is to manage those funds carefully and to approach directors of photography and sound recordists from Hong Kong to minimise the expenses. Additional costs come on during the stage of post-production to ensure the high quality of sound design and to secure copyrights.
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We also take into account the impact the filmmaking has on the plan. The environmental sustainability will be taken into account with the aim of repaying the carbon footprint of travel by donating to the local organisation of Friends of the Earth (HK). This is counted within the main cost of transport. Additionally, we will aim to reduce paper waste and other non-recyclable items of daily use.
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We are confident that if we raise our goal amount we will be able to complete this project by June of 2020. Unfortunately, a number of factors that are beyond our control have to be taken into account. The changing political tensions in Hong Kong can severely disrupt or even prevent the project from being filmed - the safety and wellbeing of our team members will be the top priority. The current outbreak of the coronavirus in the region can have an identical influence on the filmmaking process, leading to the cancellation of the production.
We will do our best to keep you informed if any disruptions and obstacles arise in regard to this project both on our social media and via updates on IndieGoGo. In the case of the project being unable to be filmed, we will do our best to reimburse the donations to all the contributors before the end of the campaign.
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Find us on our social media!
Instagram: @heart.of.hk
Facebook: Heart of HK
Twitter: @heart_of_hk
If you are interested in supporting us and becoming our patron, please contact us on any of the above platforms or at HeartOfHK@gmail.com. We appreciate all the help!
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The Club pictures are provided and a courtesy of HKCC.
