Nature in the City: A Study of Hong Kong’s Independent Eco-film Festival

Abstract

Ecocriticism’s popularity continues to grow in response to the destruction wrought in the name of development and the prevalence of anthropocentric points of view. This chapter intends to bridge the gap between Western and the non-Western scholarship by providing an example of Hong Kong. The ecocritical approach taken in this chapter challenges the urban imaginary that informs the inhabitants’ views of Hong Kong. It explores an alternative mode of imagination, symbolized by the emergence of organic communities and green activism in the post-handover period. This chapter will argue, first, that the rise in ecocritical awareness in the post-handover period marks a turning point in which the dominant developmental discourse that has shaped Hong Kong has been challenged by the philosophy represented by organic communities. Second, the rise of “green” scholarship and the introduction of eco-film festivals provide opportunities to disseminate knowledge of alternative ways of living among readers and participants. Third, by examining and reviewing the festival programs of the Food and Farming Film Festival (2014–2017) and related events, this discussion will show that film festival curators have encouraged sustainability by stressing the interconnectedness of the non-human and human, of different groups within the community, and of the local and global.