In Foreign Eyes

Films recording Hong Kong city life occurred as early as the late 19th Century, most made by foreigners for commercial or educational purposes. That was a time when foreign travel was uncommon and travelogue documentaries provided a window to the East. Many of these films lavish laudatory terms like "great", "beautiful" or "wonder" on Hong Kong, inspiring in foreign audiences the curiosity and imagination of the exotic. The earliest documentary in our collection is The Edison Shorts, made in 1898 by Edison Company, capturing images of the Street Scenes in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Wharf and Shanghai Street. Made in the 1930s, Haunt of Romance: Hong Kong Travelogue (1935) and Hong Kong Gateway to China (1938) make records of Victoria Harbour, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak and Happy Valley as well as landmarks like the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, the Cenotaph and the Old Supreme Court. In 1936, the Hong Kong Tourist Association also produced Views of Hong Kong—with a budget of HKD3,000, then a considerable amount—promoting sightseeing spots to attract visitors.

In the 1950s, Denis Bray, while living in Hong Kong serving first as District Commissioner in the New Territories and later as Secretary for Home Affairs, made films of the New Territories. He recorded the land not with curiosity but with an eye of a resident, capturing images different from travelogues or commercial documentaries. This exhibition marks the first time his films are shown to the public.

Documentary: In Foreign Eyes