This study investigates how Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) Best Film nominees (2014–2024) serve as cultural narratives, reflecting societal shifts through social identity themes and genre dynamics, analyzed through a film criticism and theoretical lens. Utilizing a dataset of 50 films, including 24 adaptations, it explores how cinematic narratives and genre choices articulate Hong Kong’s evolving social landscape. Employing manual coding, the research identifies themes such as local identity, community, and mobility from plot summaries, while examining genres like drama, biography, and crime to assess their theoretical significance. The analysis also compares adapted and non-adapted films, probing differences in thematic and genre preferences. Visualizations map trends across the decade, offering a theoretical framework to interpret cinema’s role in societal reflection. The study draws on critical theories to position films as mirrors of cultural change. This research contributes to film studies by illuminating how HKFA nominees navigate identity and societal dynamics, providing insights into Hong Kong’s cinematic landscape. It emphasizes how important adaptations and genre changes become in expressing shared experiences. This can help form a base for viewing a movie as a reflection of culture during a time of change.

Authors:
Ka Yan Chung, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Fafa Chung is now a project assistant working in the Design and Education Lab, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

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