Film Review - Ah Ming's Macau

Photo from "https://mpea-plus.org/macau-20anniversary-201812/"

The film “Ah Ming’s Macau” is about Macau at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty about its future. As the name suggests, the film describes Macau as viewed from the perspective of Ah Ming, who was trying to raise fund for the production of a film to serve as his graduation project.

While waiting for sponsorship and collecting information to enrich his script, Ah Ming went around the city trying to observe what was going on. He also interviewed people from different walks of life. He thus learned that people were at a loss as to how they could cope with the unforeseeable changes that would come along with the transfer of Macau’s sovereignty to China. While some were considering emigrating overseas for better political stability, Macau’s shrinking economy also caused some others to look for better job opportunities in places like Taiwan. All was due to a lack of confidence in Macau’s future.

The director is also keen on showing Macau’s increasing dependence on the gaming industry and support from China. There is a shot focusing in on Hotel Lisboa and the Bank of China facing each other, the former being a gaming giant and the latter symbolizing China’s increasing influences. The imminent approach of the transfer of sovereignty is also depicted in another shot showing the Portuguese flag drooping on one side and the Chinese flag flying on the other. 

On the other hand, Ah Ming also found himself at a dilemma: Should he persist with his project with a budget so huge as to scare off the prospective sponsors, or should he look for a job to remove the worries of his family? He raised doubt about whether it was necessary for a person to be working in employment to assure himself of his own value. 

Though for the main part the film tends to impress the audience with the unpredictability of life, it also brings hope in the form of support from Ah Ming’s family and encouragement from his friends. In particular, it has captured the deep sense of intimacy between Ah Ming and his mother. While nagging repeatedly about Ah Ming’s hanging around doing nothing, she could not hide her love for him. The scene with Ah Ming carrying his mother on his back for fun brings unexpected cheers and shows his optimistic nature despite the setbacks he encounters.

Watching the movie now, more than twenty years later, we are of course well informed of Macau’s situation after the handover. Likewise, we also know what happened to Ah Ming’s project finally. But this will not lessen our interest in the film. It guides us on a trip down memory lane. It also shows us how a young man can struggle to have his aspirations accomplished with intangible tenacity. I have one question, though: will the director consider making another movie with the name “Ah Ming’s Macau at present”?