星豆大作戰 (Hong Kong Cafe Let's Fight Together)

https://vimeo.com/234351000

Artist: Friendly Liu
Title: Hong Kong Cafe Let's Fight Together
Category: Multimedia
Creation Year: 2005-2018

"Hong Kong Cafe Let's Fight Together" is a 60-minute stop-motion animated film made entirely by one female amateur filmmaker, Friendly Liu—including the script, character design and production, voices for over 70 characters, music, photography, subtitles, and everything else. The film was originally conceived in 2005, with a total of 11,500 photos taken, and was finally completed in 2018 over fourteen months of work.

The film began as a joke Friendly made with her brother at a "Cha Chaan Teng" (Hong Kong-style café) in 2005. Friendly vowed to complete the animation within 10 years—but nine years passed without her starting. Having since moved to Berlin and missing Hong Kong and her family, she remembered the unfulfilled promise. Since the Umbrella Movement in 2014, Hong Kong had been immersed in an atmosphere of sadness and negativity. In addition to fulfilling her promise to her brother, Friendly wanted to use the film to provoke reflection through a wild and surreal plot: even when ordinary citizens hold different opinions, how can they move forward together? She hoped the film would resonate with audiences and bring them a little laughter.

Story:
To help Tong Tong's father and his Hong Kong café, Tong Tong and her fantasy friends try their best to fight against their biggest enemy — Hong Kong rent. Teaming up with the café staff, together they devise creative approaches. Will they survive in the end?