Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
At first, Moviemarks seems like just another cafe in Sham Shui Po. It has Japanese posters of classic Hong Kong and international films. But behind its doors is a movie memorabilia shop hoping to inspire appreciation for great films.
The store offers an array of movie pamphlets and fliers in meticulously sorted folders. It also sells film-related items that have been designed by Hong Kong artists.
The store’s founder, Gary Wong Tak-hei, explained: “Once people finish watching a movie in the cinemas, they usually disperse. But here at Moviemarks, I aspire to create a space where film lovers can gather and share their passion.”
How it started
The 30-year-old’s full-time job is as a video editor, but he has been collecting movie fliers since his youth. Four years ago, his hobby led him to open Moviemarks. At the time, it was located in Sham Shui Po’s Dragon Centre.
He recalled what drove him to open the shop: “My collection outgrew the space I had ... I also longed to share my passion and meet other like-minded people.”
Little did he expect that his store would connect with a community of movie buffs. The shop’s Instagram now has over 12,000 followers. As the demand for his shop grew, Wong moved to a larger space in Sham Shui Po last year.
A treasure hunt
Moviemarks has thousands of fliers. They are organised into sections for films from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and the West – and most of the posters are in Japanese.
This is because films in Hong Kong are promoted usually on A3-size posters, but many movie buffs prefer the smaller B5-size that is often given for free at Japan’s cinemas.
“What makes the Japanese fliers special is that they have a unique design,” Wong said. “[Their] fliers for Hong Kong movies not only change the main visual but also use bolder colours and fonts.”
The shop’s eight folders for Hong Kong films are especially popular with customers.
Wong explained why people love physical items like these: “Flipping through the folders to search for the poster of a movie you love is like a treasure hunt.”
But Wong does not limit Moviemarks just to selling memorabilia. He has also worked with Hong Kong directors and distributors to hold events at cinemas and in the shop.
“As more people get to know us, I hope this space can do more to support Hong Kong’s film industry,” he said.
Find the words in the puzzle below to test your understanding of the vocabulary in this story.
Suggested Answers
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Stop and think: Wong hopes to create a space for film lovers to gather and share their passion. He also wants to support Hong Kong’s film industry.
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Answer this: He says Japanese posters use bold colours and fonts. They are also a smaller size than the posters in Hong Kong, making them more popular with collectors.
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Quick question: Hong Kong film fliers are popular because the shop is located in the city, and these posters might be more rare to find.
