- J and Jacky are two inseparable best friends whose families share a subdivided flat. J is often left under the care of Jacky's family when his mother returns to the Mainland to renew her residency permit. Soon, we see from J and Jacky's classmates that such a living arrangement is not a unique situation.—anonymous
- The Chinese title of Fish Story came from an ancient Chinese classics, which means 'How does one understand the joy of fish, if one is not a fish?' Fish Story explores what it is like growing up in an adult world through the eyes of a group of children. One might pity those who grown up in poverty, yet how do these children perceive these labels inevitably tagged on them? While they may live in an uncertain world, with their unique vitality, these children still aspire to achieve big goals with their lives.—Anonymous
- This documentary explores what it is like growing up in an adult world through the eyes of a group of children. J SHEN and Jacky WONG are good friends, inseparable since they first met in the first grade. J was born in Hong Kong to a single-parent family and lives with his mainland-born mother in a small subdivided unit. His mother has to return to mainland China regularly to renew her visa, and so to avoid leaving her son alone in Hong Kong without supervision, she sends J to the homes of his classmates for the duration. Js classmate Jacky comes from a Vietnamese family, and with J often put in his familys care, the two have become close friends. Every morning, J and Jacky walk to Fresh Fish Traders School in Tai Kok Tsui, where they attend classes. Over the course of this film, we see their lives in Hong Kongs lower class and how the two take care of one another. Other classmates are going through similar experiences, including the mainland-born trio of Frankie TUNG, Jimmy TAM, and Kiki WONG, a young girl who enjoys particular popularity with the boys in the class. All of their families have dreams and hopes for the childrens futures, dreams that brought them to Hong Kong, where they live in cramped, close quarters, scraping by. Yet, is this sudden change of environment, which forces the children to identify with new culture and values, an investment that will ultimately prove worthwhile? And how will Js appearance on a television show change his circumstances? What does family mean to these children? How do they perceive the expectations of society and their parents hopes and dreams for them? And shouldnt the adults of the world be willing to listen to how the children view their parents, the adults, and their hopes for the world they grow up in? While they may live in an uncertain world, these children still aspire to do something with their lives. Adults may not want to or have time to understand their efforts and dreams, just as remarked in an ancient Chinese classic, How does one understand the joy of fish, if one is not a fish? Such is the tale woven through the running time of Fish Story.
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