Rewriting cinema history
New technologies are shaping the world and the lives of many. The movie industry is no exception. Industry insiders tells Wu Kunling that movie theaters, as a medium for filmmaking, will continue to exist, though in a less-mainstream way.
Resisting the habits of his generation, 25-year-old photographer William Wang keeps patronizing cinemas, having watched up to 30 films on the big screen last year, out of about 200 films in total.
Despite his passion for movies, Wang is not perturbed by the growing number of Hong Kong cinemas putting up the shutters as box office figures slump.
"The closures are inevitable, just like bookstores," says Wang whose generation has borne the brunt of internet streaming services — that are reshaping the habits of people reading or going to movies.
Nine cinemas in Hong Kong closed last year, with total box office revenue from cinema chains slumping to HK$1.34 billion ($172.3 million) — down almost HK$100 million, compared with the previous year, and a drop of more than 30 percent from HK$1.96 billion in 2018 and HK$1.92 billion in 2019.
