"In a corner of the stardust" Director Ram Sam How can people trust each other again [Director's Interview Vol.334]

Documenting a pivotal moment in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic

Q: I think that filmmakers had two choices when making a film during the COVID-19 pandemic. Either reflect the real events in the film as they are, or portray it as a time before COVID-19. Director Lam Sam decided to change the script and set the story in the COVID-19 era, but why did he choose that option?

Ram Sam: Actually, we first tried to start filming just when the COVID-19 infection was gradually beginning to spread. At first, I thought it would calm down if we waited a little, but after waiting for a month, two months, and three months, there was no sign of it calming down. Rather, I finally realized that the situation was only getting worse, and I started to think that it would be better to record the current reality. So we changed the historical background a little from the original plan and decided to set the story in the present time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Looking back now, that pandemic period was a really big event in the era we live in. It's only recently that I've finally come to realize that by deciding to continue filming at that time, we were able to record an important time for humanity, and that filming the streets of Hong Kong at that time was a valuable experience. There are very few Hong Kong films that focus on the coronavirus pandemic, and it would be difficult to make a film about that time again. Next time, we'll have to ask everyone on the street to wear masks again.

“In a Stardust Corner” (C)mm2 Studios Hong Kong

Q: I was also interested in the use of windows in the film. Zaku first discovers Candy and the others running around innocently from the office window, looking down at the road. Candy and the others have always dreamed of living in a house with windows. How did you come up with these window effects?

Lam Sam: My goal with photographer Meteor Chong was to create a situation where people are surrounded by window frames and unable to move. I wanted to depict how people who are surrounded by the window frames, that is, by COVID, can break through those difficulties and jump out into the world outside the window.

Another thing is that windows in houses and hotels symbolize the unique housing situation in Hong Kong and also represent the gap between rich and poor in Hong Kong. That's why we used windows in various scenes in this film. Hong Kong's housing environment has a really complicated structure, and most rooms in cheap apartments and hotels don't have windows. However, when Meteor Cheung and I went to see the hotel where we were going to film, we happened to find a small window in one room. For some reason, this small room where you can only sleep has a window, and you can somehow see outside through the gap surrounded by the walls. We were very surprised by this mysterious space and wanted to use this situation in our direction. And that's how the hotel scene was created.

How to portray a young single mother