Walking up Lyndhurst Terrrace last night and I came across a film crew languidly setting up for a shot.

It reminded me of the time I lived in Happy Valley and how frequently you would turn a corner and come across a film crew, a movie star, or a canto pop celebrity. At one pint the press was camped outside our building for a month waiting to get a shot of a singer. She was apparently dating the banker who lived in the penthouse. Our security guards in the building bundled her out of one of the fire escapes and the paparazzi missed their opportunity.

The scene also reminded me of the romantic comedy ‘Perfect Match’ ( 跑馬地的月光) which takes place entirely in Happy Valley and also makes numerous references to the popularity of the location in movies. The movie is now quite dated in Hong Kong terms and was released in 2000. Numerous locations have changed, the ‘Green Spot’ for example, which was the trendiest place in Happy Valley in 2000, has gone through a few transformations and is now a beauty centre I think.

Turning a corner and finding a film crew makes you reconsider the place you are walking through. What is the shot they are capturing? How will it look in film? It alters your mundane experience of the city and urges you to look more closely.