Abstract:

Filmed in 1997, the historical year of Hong Kong's return to China, "King of Kowloon" documents the story of one of the former British colony's most infamous citizens. 78-year-old- Tseng Tso Choi is no ordinary graffiti artist. This senior citizen doesn't wield a paint can but, rather, writes in public spaces with a Chinese calligraphy brush. Writing everyday for over forty years, not even a crippling accident a decade ago has stopped him from taking to the streets and writing his name everywhere. Widely known throughout Hong Kong as the King of Kowloon, public opinion of him ranges from working class hero and unique calligrapher to public nuisance and madman. From interviews with the man-on-the-street to personal candid talks with Tseng himself, the film examines the intriguing mystery of why he writes with both humor and poignancy. Asian Studies