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Film Chosen: The Coldest Night (2016)

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Declaration: I hereby declare that this whole assignment is my own work, except

the parts with due acknowledgement.

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Intercultural Communication Issues in the documentary The Coldest Night (2016)

The theme that relates most to The Coldest Night (2016) documentary film is the

language barrier. The documentary film presents the case of two ethnic minorities, Ayub and

Shoaib, both of Asian origins living in Hong Kong. The language barrier significantly limits the

livelihood and work experiences of these individuals by placing them at a disadvantage. Despite

their work experience and willingness to work in Hong Kong, they both continue to toil for

sustainable jobs.

The film presents the intercultural communication issues through the lives and

experiences of two characters. Ayub works in a cold room as a casual laborer during the night to

earn an income that sustains his family. Because of his different ethnicity, Ayub experiences

hardships and life challenge influenced by the language barrier. Having lived in Pakistan for

most of his life and only moving to Hong Kong a few years ago, he lacked knowledge of

Chinese and Cantonese languages. Many employers in Hong Kong prefer employees with

knowledge in written and spoken. However, his age and financial position make it difficult for

him to learn the Hong Kong Languages. As a result, he misses out on many job opportunities

because of his inability to speak, read and write these languages. This intercultural

communication issue leads him to take night jobs, mostly manual labor jobs with lower salaries.

As an ethnic minority, his lack of knowledge to communicate in Cantonese limits his chances of

getting daytime jobs with better wages that allow him to spend more time with his family. His

care represents one of the many intercultural communication issues that affect ethnic minorities

living in Hong Kong, including others like the Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Nepalese,

Bangladeshis, and others. Despite his frequent visits to the labor department of Hong Kong, his

efforts to secure a better job are limited by the language barrier.

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The case of Shoaib also represents the intercultural issues that affect minority groups in

Hong Kong. Although he works in an organization that attempts to help South Asians to acquire

jobs in Hong Kong, he still faces a similar predicament as Ayub because of his inability to read

and speak Cantonese, Hong Kong’s preferred language. His academic qualifications as a

university graduate do not make it easier for him to get a job because of his limited knowledge of

Cantonese. He attributes his luck in securing employment at his current job to its involvement

with ethnic groups, a position that requires less Cantonese, unlike other jobs. Thus, the language

barrier has been a significant factor that affected his job search in Hong Kong. The use of

Cantonese in recruitment advertisements and job application forms also makes it difficult for

non-locals to apply for jobs.

The documentary presents Hong Kong as an inclusive society through the character of

Simon Lee, Ayub’s manager. Despite being skeptical about having employees from minority

ethnic communities, he embraced diversity after working with Ayub and began to employ more

laborers from minority ethnic groups, giving them a chance for employment. Increased

interactions between Hong Kong locals and ethnic minorities in the workplace and social places

would improve intercultural communication among them.

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References

Chow, E. (Narrator). (2016). The Coldest Night [Film Documentary].