Backlit
by Hong Kong’s constant struggle to strike a balance between the
expansion of international presence and the preservation of local
culture, this film provides a foundation for the series by introducing
Hong Kong’s most locally-debated linguistic phenomenon:
Cantonese-English code-mixing. Linguists and the general public alike
share research-supported evidence and heartfelt beliefs as the
intricacies of this social practice are revealed.
Synopsis:
Researcher Katherine Chen surveyed Hong Kong pedestrians for
Cantonese-only translations to a commonly code-mixed sentence, “Today I
must present a project.” While searching for the answer, the film has
parallel explorations into who code-mixes in Hong Kong, why they do it,
what attitudes people have toward it, and what social meaning it holds.
Running Time: ~ 30 Minutes
Spoken Language: English and Cantonese
Subtitled Language: English and Chinese |
“This film is filled
with vivid examples of bilingualism in action, showing how speakers draw
on the resources of different languages in everyday interaction. As
always, the linguistic practices of everyday life run counter to the
prescriptions of the language experts. And ‘Present
一個 Project’ is as lively and
entertaining as it is informative. I recommend it to students and
researchers - and indeed to anyone who is interested in the many and
varied ways people use language (and languages) to communicate with each
other.”
- Lesley Milroy,
University of Michigan
This
fascinating film combines lucid narrative with perceptive commentary; it
is both educational and entertaining. I cannot think of a better way of
introducing anyone to bilingualism than showing them this film.
- Li Wei, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
"It's nice to see people who want to spread the work that linguists do
to wider audiences and I think your film can do just that. It is
professional and sophisticated enough that linguists, anthropologists,
communication scholars, etc. would benefit from it yet it is accessible
enough that beginning students and the public in general can enjoy it
and learn from it as well. I look forward to being able to show this
film to my students (and my family and friends)!"
- Lisa Del Torto, University of Michigan
"This film was REALLY
INTERESTING. I loved it! It looks very professional, and it held my
attention throughout. I like the mix of humor and seriousness, of
academic and personal comments. I would definitely recommend this film
– for other linguistics classes, for classes on Chinese history and
politics, and for American culture classes (to exhibit the contrast
between monolingual and multilingual societies). I would also recommend
it to friends who are bilingual. My parents grew up in Israel and tease
each other all the time about code-switching (they try to prevent
themselves from doing it); I would show them this movie so they can see
how natural it is, and hear people who argue that it’s not harmful."
- Daphna Atias, undergraduate student,
University of Michigan | 
