CULTURAL STUDIES EA

NORTH POINT
SUNBEAM THEATRE
150621126
KWONG WAI YI
SECONDARY RESEARCH &
ANALYSIS
－ A 44-years theatre which contains ancient history
> Opened at 1972 that is the time of the end of Chinese Cultural
Revolution
> Experiences Chinese Economic Reform, Tiananmen Square Protests,
Hong Kong Reunification etc. important moments
> The first film broadcasting is 「文化大革命期間出土文物」, it shows
that we can find history from the changing of Sunbeam Theatre

－ Broadcasing Film as a cinema at the beginning. Started to showcase

Cantonese opera at 1980s
> Became a landmark theatre in Hong Kong
> Closely relationship with film that they will also broadcast some
special and classic film nowadays

－ Called ‘Hong Kong Opera Palace’ (香港粵劇殿堂)

> Became the seventh of "Asian experience visitors should not miss”,
in the voting of Time Magazine website in November 2009
> Lam Kar-sing showcased 38 farewell performances at the Sunbeam
Theatre, and all full house
Sunbeam Theatre contains education value that house 2 located
upstairs will be installed to change the venue to become arts
education, as rehearsals and lectures purposes, also it is venue of
the few existing large-scale Cantonese opera.

Cantonese opera becoming less and less popular in Hong Kong,

especially to youngsters. However, the value of Cantonese Opera
actually increasing, such as it won UNESCO recognition and was
included in "intangible cultural heritage list.” at 2009.

Because of this phenomenon, Sunbeam Theatre faces several times

of predicament, that it is facing demolition in 2012 and 2016.
Although the stuffs can be settled finally, we can see the unstable
position of Sunbeam Theatre.

The place also full of North Point residents’ collective memory, I

think it should be continuous inherited and it is an unfortunate if
we lose it.
PRIMARY RESEARCH &
ANALYSIS

－ Sunbeam Thratre still using some classic propaganda

method, like there are material object poster, which its
design and typeface can give us traditional feeling, outside
the theatre. It shown its old style.

－ However, in order to fitting in with modern era

manner, Sunbeam Theatre changed their way and form of
selling tickets. We can buy ticket online nowadays and the
screen can clearly show us the free seat, instead of the
hand draw seat plan used before. It convenient to
everyone and is more standard.

> It is usually provided with culture and traditional

atmosphere, but it have big difference between old and
new theatre.
I go watching a foreign film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ when I site visit second
times, and gain some special experiences.

Firstly, when I go to the counter and buy ticket, there are some resident
around chatting with the staffs, they also smile at me. I told the staff that I
want to watch that night movie, she shows me the seat and explain to
me very clearly about difference price of the seat and remind me that the
film length is about 3-4 hours. (I really knew it when she reminded me)

Then entered the theatre, some man staffs dressed very classic and hold
a flashlight showing out seat. The decoration inside is very old but
imposing, such as there are plaque in two side of the screen. The whole
style is reminiscence.

There are 80% full of the theatre, mostly elderly, some teenagers are
carried by their family too. It is very surprised that a host came out to
introduce the film and propaganda the following program will be
happened in Sunbeam Theatre. Reaction of the audience is very
enthusiastic too, it make me looking forward to the film.

Lastly, there are break among the film, it is intimate and even longer film
like ‘Titanic’ I watched in general cinema, there are no break. And I hear
some residents’ talk when lining up outside washroom, come Sunbeam
Theatre maybe their only entertainment going outside, so I think it is
really important to keep it stay.
FINDINGS AND
INTERPRETATION

People pursue more and more new things. Maybe we have forgot that old
things also have their own value, such as old hand draw ticket, seems it is
eliminated by the society, however it can reflect ages, places and history.

Also, the most sensitive way to stir up people feelings is using their
collective memory, as people will easily project their own experience and
view in it.

So that, I want to use it to draw us back to 70s (40 years ago). And find
the lost value in our era and hope people can be treasure it.
MY WORK
I use two different kinds of ticket from Sunbeam Theatre which is old hand draw ticket and new computer printing
ticket, making a two-frame video.

We can keep seeing the old vestige on the hand draw ticket, it seems shabby. In the other side, the computer
printing ticket seems brand new, but the words on it gradually disappear.

video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT0A9Pj9IbU
CONCEPT

I make a contrast between old and new form of the ticket, actually it refer to old and new era.

People usually think that it is a must to sell tickets with computer, because it is clear, convenience and every big
cinema and theatre using it, comparing to hand ticket, it is irregular and trouble. So, it is a trend that we have no
reason to reject, and hand draw ticket have been treated as a useless thing.

We can see that although there are many old vestige on the hand draw ticket, but nature of the ticket didn’t change.
It seems like it went through a lot of stuffs, so it can contains many history and story in it which is never fade.

However, computer printing ticket can last and continue the history. That is what people newadays attach
importance to, that they need things standard and high-speed, but they don’t know it make things lose flavor.
And memory will last disappear with the words.

I want to let people think about the value of things that they abandoned and show the worth of old things from
hand draw ticket.
ART FORM

I use video as my platform as it is a time-related media, and my concept is matching with time and history. Also two
frame can let audience feel two things changing at the same time and enhance the feeling of contrast.

I want to create the mood like 70s era black and white poster in the video, increse the age sense and two ticket are
likely go through the same period of time. Also, this coloration can show the changing well.

The scene of old ticket is moving and that of new ticket is still. The two difference style of scene can advocate
people visual, so old ticket in this video seems more attractive. Also, old ticket get its vitality, but unconsciously new
ticket got its words disappearance.
Thanks!