China’s culture, history, customs and traditions. To paraphrase “The problem with subtlety is… too subtle”, China’s subtlety is so subtle, you don’t even notice it’s there.
This essay examines Hollywood’s portrayal of foreign nations, with particular attention to China, and analyzes how these representations are shaped by narrative convention, historical framing, and market forces. It argues that recurring patterns of stigmatization and selective historical storytelling are not merely artistic choices, but are influenced by Hollywood’s global ambitions and economic dependencies. By … Read more
A frequent explanation for Hong Kong cinema’s decline is: The industry fell apart because censorship—particularly from mainland China—stifled creative freedom. While this argument might seem convincing at first glance, it doesn’t hold up when we look at history.Taiwan’s involvement in Hong Kong cinema provides a direct counterexample. Taiwan’s Stricter Censorship Highlights Historical Resilience of Hong … Read more
Many Hong Kong filmmakers—and the cultural institutions that support them—remain psychologically anchored in a colonial-era hierarchy that positions Hong Kong as culturally, morally, and aesthetically superior to mainland China. This outdated mindset shapes creative choices, industry discourse, and market behavior, creating a structural obstacle to the revival of Hong Kong cinema. The problem is not … Read more
There is hope for a resurgence of Hong Kong cinema, but only in a limited, conditional, and fundamentally transformed form. A return to its former dominance is highly unlikely without a profound psychological, industrial, and generational reset. The decline cannot be attributed to censorship alone; rather, it reflects a convergence of structural, cultural, and creative … Read more
Despite their shared status as internationally renowned martial arts stars, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, and Jet Li have experienced markedly different receptions in Hollywood. While Chan and Yen have enjoyed visible recognition—through Oscars appearances, honorary awards, Walk of Fame stars, leading or substantial supporting roles, and notable creative influence—Jet Li has often been sidelined, receiving … Read more
Europe’s disproportionate exposure to the economic, energy, and security costs of the Russo-Ukrainian War was neither accidental nor unseen by European politicians and policy institutions. The central question is therefore not whether the risks were understood, but why they were accepted. A plausible explanation is that European elites did not equate “Europe’s losses” with their … Read more
Hong Kong is best understood neither as a failed nation-state nor merely as a rebellious city, but as a deliberately constructed nation without a state—a shared national consensus formed in the absence of formal sovereignty. Its distinctiveness lies in the fact that it did not emerge through revolution, war, or independence, yet it gradually accumulated … Read more