Interview: Heiward Mak (Beside(s,) Happiness)

There was no such thing as the big-budgeted local production film when it came to Hong Kong films at this year’s HKIFF and if attendees remember last year entrees they’d noticed the common link in the low budget works from filmmaker Heiward Mak. Last year she filled up the HKIFF with four films: she was the editor on Scud’s Amphetamine, she co-wrote Peng Ho Cheung’s Love in the Puff and she made both a feature (Ex) and short film (We Might as Well be Strangers). This year she was back with what was originally designed to be a simple television episode which then became the big screen project that was presented in this year’s line-up. Beside(s,) Happiness might be simple in tone, but its one of the most heart-warming works that will have appeared in the HK film scene in 11′. I sat down with Mak to discuss the larger themes of the film and her future slated projects.

Milky Li Hoi Ching: How did Beside(s,) Happiness come about?
Heiward Mak: Radio Television Hong Kong and Women’s Commission were developing a TV show that is about women. One of the producers saw my works and wanted me to direct the first episode, and after reading the script and adding some more ideas, they had an idea of making this a one hour film and for it to screen at the HKIFF.

Ching: What is Beside(s,) Happiness about?
Mak: The concept is intended to be about middle-aged women. So many people nowadays would always say how once women reach 25, they become “middle-aged”. And the general post 80s generation or most of all my friends, they all have a strong wish of getting married and have certain definitions, rules regarding marriage and happiness, like having to get married at 25, have kids at 27 etc. All these rules matter a lot to these so-called middle-aged women a lot. They think a lot and calculate a lot when it comes to love. This film is about how falling in love and fate can’t be calculated, can’t be predicted. So when a 27-year-old woman meets 21-year-old student and gets pregnant due to one night stand, it becomes difficult for her to deal with their relationship, because even though she likes him, she has way too many worries and doubts about their future. But then this guy lets her know that her definition of happiness is a set of ideas people give her, and what he can give her on the basis of happiness is happiness itself.

Ching: Was there any particular reason of choosing this cast?
Mak: Well, I knew Kate Yang for a very long time; since she’s going to Taiwan to further her career and we both wanted to leave on mark on our youth before we reach 27 and on, to kind of remember our difficult times in this industry in Hong Kong, I wanted her to star in this film. Actually I wrote this character specifically for her; all her roles in my films were written sort of specifically for her.

As for SiuYea Lo, he graduated from the same school of mine just some time after. I originally just wanted him to work behind the screen as he previously also worked for me as the boom man for the film Ex, but after watching a short film of his, in which he also starred, I was very impressed with his performance. He knew what he was supposed to be doing in front of the camera. And the point was that I was just trying to find a twenty-something actor who could act, I didn’t need a pop star or particularly good-looking guy. As a 24-year-old, I think he played this part really well and portrayed the cuteness of the character really well.

Ching: This film seems to be really different in tones when compared to your previous works, and also much more simplistic in the narrative.
Mak: It has to be simple, because it was directed for a TV audience, so it should not be very complicated. I intended it to be as simple as it could get, so everybody could understand. And also because of this, I didn’t want to experiment with the narrative; it is supposed to be a love story told in a very straight-forward manner.

Its tone is also very optimistic and positive; you could hardly feel this way with my previous films. In High Noon, the world is presented to be very hopeless and pessimistic, comparatively, Ex is happier, but still it isn’t very optimistic. But this one is really full of happiness and positives; two people are able to fall in love and be together despite all this being brought by a one night stand, a very random chance.

Ching: It seems that you mostly like to make films that focus on youth.
Mak: That’s because I’m still part of this generation. Like, Kahlil Gibran said “You cannot have youth and the knowledge of it at the same time” And I think I still have questions about it, I still don’t have the complete knowledge of it, like why it is that when people grow up, they don’t value promise, friendship, commitment and loyalty as much, it is like they don’t care about a lot of things anymore. I want to express that “Don’t be so uninterested, uncaring” this sort of attitudes through my films. I think when you’re teenager, you care so much about what the others think of you, and that makes you evaluate yourself and identify yourself. This is a common theme about all my works; the idea of self-recognition or the construction of self-identity. That same goes for Beside(s,) Happiness as well, the female lead played by Kate Yang though disagrees on others’ definitions of happiness, she is very unsure as to whether she needs those things to achieve happiness and what she herself really needs and wants, until she meets that guy, who values her existence by caring her and placing a sense of importance on the relationship. Then she is able to identify and restoring a sense of importance to herself and all.

Ching: Then what do you think of the current youth?
Mak: I don’t really have any particular thoughts; I just know I’m one of them. And I just don’t like how society label or categorize certain people. No matter what kind of people we are, the most important thing is that we feel concerned with the same things. I think every generation looks at the next generation, they would see the gap between them and the bad sides of the following generation. But I think the current atmosphere in Hong Kong is that people like to categorize young people as a group of radical, emotionally extreme people. I think it is an attempt to polarize the society and I think this label is discrimination. The most important thing is, no matter what generation you are, ultimately, we all aim for the same thing, and it is to try to bring a better future to the generations that come after. And I think if the post 80s generation, young people are able to understand that, the world will be a better place.

I mean I feel concerned as well, seeing how so many landmark buildings got demolished, the fate of places like Nam Sang Wai (which will probably be developed with mansions and buildings). Our kids won’t be able to see nature anymore. Even if they want to see nature, they could only see them in some museums or places that are built for commercial sightseeing tours, but not at where they live, places around them. And with all the injustices of the world; how the rich got richer and poor got poorer, it means so much that if we could defend, protect something for our kids and really fight for them.

Ching: What will be your next projects?
Mak: My next project will be Diva, starring Joey Yung. It will be another story that has the theme or self-recognition or self-identity; a pop star always thinks that she is important because people need her, but than she realizes that it is not the true. She finds out that she needs the fans and the stage, not the stage or the fans needing her. The story will be about a newcomer entering the industry threatening the place of a pop star who feels tired and wants to retire from her work. I also will direct another commercial project.

But after all these, I am planning on making a new film, probably it will start shooting next year. It will be an independent film, titled as Hong Kong Riots; it is not really the protests or riots in Hong Kong, it will talk about the undercurrent or the atmosphere of unease of this generation. The riot mentioned is more like a revolution happening behind; it is a very abstract story and the film is in a way quite experimental.