Get ready to explore the work and wisdom of the revered cinematographer and sage, Christopher Doyle. This Australian-born talent has lent his skills to some of the most iconic films in international cinema, collaborating with the likes of Edward Yang, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and the treasured Hong Kong auteur, Wong Kar-Wai. Together, Wong Kar-Wai and Christopher Doyle have birthed seven feature films, including the unforgettable classics, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, and In the Mood for Love.
Known to his contemporaries by his Mandarin name 杜可風 (Dù Kěfēng), Doyle is an adopted son of Hong Kong, having lived in the infamously dense port city for three decades. It’s there he continues his work to this day, building upon his renowned body of cinematic work. He’s an unmistakably sincere man, who freely expresses his affection for Hong Kong, his distaste for pretense, and his reverence for life.
Although renowned for his remarkable cinematography, Doyle finds his truth by being open to a variety of practices and experiences. He is multilingual, deeply collaborative, and spends much of his time creating vivid and expressive collages. In this post, we’ll reflect on the filmmaker’s multifaceted approach to life, beauty, and art, as well as ways we can all practice his philosophies.
Christopher Doyle is a master of composition and color, and his gift manifests in other forms too. For years, he has practiced mixed-media painting and paper collage. Much like his photography, his collages are simultaneously chaotic and elegant, imbued with vivid color and rife with expressive texture.
Get ready to be inspired by this man who is still at it, continuing his creative endeavors from his Kowloon Bay studio. He has contributed to two projects led by cherished dissident artist Ai Weiwei, co-directed a film with friend and peer Jenny Suen, and directed Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous, his avant-garde portrait of modern Hongkongers. Blurring the line between documentary and narrative fiction, Hong Kong Trilogy is an inescapably political glimpse at three generations of Hong Kong. Like a modern-day Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Doyle turns real places in Hong Kong into surreal waking dreams, depicting real Hongkongers speaking in their own voice, breaking apart reality to show us truth. Having been produced at the height of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, the film offers an empathetic view of the 2014 Occupy Central demonstrations and features candid interviews from Hong Kong residents young and old.Check out this amazing post on Instagram! The intricate design in the image below is truly mesmerizing. Take a closer look and you’ll see the attention to detail in every curve and line. It’s like a work of art! And don’t even get us started on the creative use of shapes and colors. This post is a true masterpiece. So go ahead, give it a like and show some love for this incredible piece of content.Check out Rossi & Rossi’s Instagram post showcasing the incredible mixed-media work of Christopher Doyle! This Australian-born, multilingual Mandarin student turned world-renowned cinematographer is a true multidisciplinarian. His practice of mixed-media is a reflection of his method – to be open and constantly working on oneself. By practicing this novel discipline, he expands his artistic sense, understanding of shape, color, and beauty. In an episode of the CNN series Parts Unknown, the late Anthony Bourdain spends time with Doyle in his studio, where they reflect on the story of Hong Kong and the innate beauty of all things. It’s here we get a candid look at the cinematographer’s other artistic pursuit, that being collage. As he pours gray ink onto a bright white sheet of paper, Doyle reveals his thoughts to Bourdain: “I don’t watch movies, I don’t watch other people’s work. I can’t draw, but I know if you put this and move it around a bit, it may take you somewhere. So, to me, collage is like the unexpected put-together to perhaps suggest something that you never thought of.” Check out the Instagram post for a glimpse of Doyle’s incredible work!The mesmerizing collage work of Christopher Doyle is a testament to his lust for life and openness to the world. Despite claiming to not be very technical, Doyle stumbled into filmmaking and found his calling through his willingness to try new things. His paper collage practice is a perfect example of this attitude, where he throws images together to see where the chaotic union of color and shape will take him. We can all learn from Doyle’s adaptability and pursue new experiences, whether it’s sketching, cycling, dancing, or writing. As Doyle himself says, “finding the film” is more important than creating it. His work with Wong Kar-Wai on films like Chungking Express and Happy Together exemplifies this mindset, as they utilized whatever settings were available and embraced the gritty reality of Hong Kong. Let’s all take a page from Christopher Doyle’s book and open ourselves up to new possibilities.
Charlie Yeung and Leon Lai in the 1995 crime drama Fallen Angels. Image via Jet Tone Prodns/Kobal/Shutterstock.
Are you feeling stuck in your creative process? Take a cue from the filmmakers behind Chungking Express and The White Girl. Instead of letting obstacles hinder your work, let them inspire you. You never know what unexpected brilliance may come from a bit of flexibility.
Give Voice to the Unspoken
During a visit to the picturesque Tai O village in Hong Kong, Christopher Doyle and Anthony Bourdain discuss the region’s culture and the impact of gentrification and mainland China. Doyle’s response is both eloquent and inspiring:
The only function of what we do, with art or anything, is to give voice to the unspoken, to give it a form that it has never been perceived in before. We can’t change the evolution of history or the gentrification — you can’t stop that. But, at least you can say: Look what you’re losing.
This philosophy perfectly aligns with the idea of finding the film. As filmmakers, our responsibility is to document and engage with the world around us, even as it changes. We can’t stop the evolution of history, but we can give an image to an idea and act as its vehicle.
Go Be Open
In these tumultuous times, it may be tempting to strive for something completely new and unimagined. But perhaps what we need most is to synthesize the moment and give voice to the unspoken. As creators, we have the power to act as messengers, lending our voices to those who need to be heard.
So go forth with an open mind and an open heart. You never know what kind of impact you may have.
Check out this amazing post on Instagram by anthonybourdain! The intricate design and attention to detail in the accompanying graphic is truly mesmerizing. But beyond the visual appeal, the post also features some insightful commentary on the life and work of filmmaker Christopher Doyle. Doyle’s ability to adapt to new circumstances and find beauty in the world around him is truly inspiring, and serves as a reminder to all aspiring filmmakers to keep an open mind and never stop exploring. And if you’re looking for more inspiration, be sure to check out the work and philosophies of some of the best filmmakers in the world, including Janusz Kamiński, Wally Pfister, Reed Morano, and Robert Richardson.
