it was an (in)significant year, 2023
essay: on the research and development process
The autobiographic essay film “It Was an (In)significant Year” was inspired by Allen Chun's statement that 1997 was an “insignificant year” for Hong Kong's return to China, as it was destined to happen eventually. The title proposes viewing years as freely interpreted signs. Sequences combine everyday footage and revisits to protest sites from 2019-2023, captured with a portable DV camera that zooms in and out, resonating with Abbas' view of observing Hong Kong's rapid changes. Edited anachronically with diary entries, quotes, and visuals, it aims not to create a fixed narrative but allow free interpretation, responding to Hong Kong as a “floating signifier.” Visual distortions and square framing intensify the catastrophe, opening pain to individual perceptions that appear different upon each viewing.
