This research project explores the interaction between the female body and space in Fruit Chan’s Prostitute Trilogy—comprising Durian Durian (2000), Hollywood, Hong Kong (2001), and Three Husbands (2018). By examining how these women’s movements unfold within public and private spaces, it reveals a distinct gendered spatial division. In public spaces, their bodies are depicted as spectral, while private spaces impose limitations and trauma.
Methodologically, the study traces the historical evolution of the prostitute figure in Hong Kong cinema, reflecting the broader social and political shifts in the region. Building on this historical foundation, this thesis employs a comparative analysis to examine how the protagonists in these films navigate both public and private spaces. For external scenes, it focuses on streets and alleys, drawing on the concept of the spectral city. For private spaces, it analyses the characters’ living conditions, highlighting the gendered power dynamics within domestic settings.
In the detailed exploration of the interaction between the prostitute’s body and the space, Close textual analysis is applied to assess various cinematic elements, including mise-en-scène, body movements, and narrative techniques. Through these lenses, the study investigates how the relationship between body and space in Chan’s works reflects Hong Kong’s changing social and political landscape. This research contributes to the existing scholarship on Fruit Chan’s work, offering a new framework that emphasizes the gendered spatial divisions in his films.

Authors:
Qinghan Chen, University of Warwick, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Qinghan Chen is a postgraduate student of film and television studies at the University of Warwick.

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