The exhibition "Cityscape in Sight and Sound", organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is being held from today (February 1) to May 5 at the Exhibition Hall of the HKFA. The exhibition offers visitors a glimpse of Hong Kong's past cityscape and landmarks through several hundred pieces of footage selected from the HKFA's archival film collection, including documentaries and dramas from the late 19th century to the 1960s, as well as film posters and digital album of production stills.    
 
     The exhibition begins with the oldest documentary in the HKFA's collection, "The Edison Shorts", made by the Edison Company in 1898, which captured images of Hong Kong street scenes in late 19th century seen through the eyes of foreigners. Documentaries shot and donated by the former District Commissioner in the New Territories and Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Denis Bray, record landscapes of the New Territories in the 1950s, which are being shown to the public for the first time. Films which were shot on location from the 1940s to 1960s record numerous landmarks that have disappeared or changed, such as Kai Tak Airport, the former Kowloon–Canton Railway terminus, the café Yucca de Lac, Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park and Queen's Theatre. While made for narrative purposes at the time, the scenes revealed in the films have become today's precious memories, as well as having historical significance.         
 
     In addition, the exhibition displays two old cameras commonly used in the 1950s and 1960s allowing visitors to better understand the difficulties faced by cinematographers in bygone days, who had to carry bulky equipment for location filming.
 
     To complement the exhibition, two seminars in Cantonese will be held by the HKFA at its Cinema. The first, entitled "Changing Times: Cityscape in Flux", will be held at 2.30pm on February 17, with film researcher, Gary Wong as speaker. Another seminar, entitled "Cityscape: Stories of Built Heritage", will be held at 2.30pm on March 17 and will be hosted by the former Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History, Dr Joseph Ting.
 
     Admission to the exhibition and the seminars is free. For details, please call 2739 2139 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKFA/en_US/web/hkfa/programmesandexhibitions/highlights/highlights53.html.

Ends/Friday, February 1, 2019
Issued at HKT 17:30

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