Against the erosion of culture in Hong Kong, a 1.5-generation Hong Konger-American makes it his mission to spread his native culture by building the only operational Hong Kong taxi in the United States.

Director statement
may have explained the genesis of my film as a collaboration from last year, but its roots were planted much longer ago. Post-2019 Hong Kong protests, I considered myself an international student in the U.S., not a migrant; I’ve never had to apply for any new visa or citizenship scheme. But as I slowly decided to stay in the Anglosphere after graduating, I realised, whether I had intended it or not, I was part of a newly formed global Hong Konger diaspora.

And I slowly picked up on the gulf emerging between the diaspora and those who stayed in Hong Kong. When I was trying to preserve and spread Hong Kong culture in the free world with my diasporic friends, people in Hong Kong were becoming disillusioned. That is not to say that they’ve forgotten about politics, but they are preoccupied with surviving and paying their bills under increasingly difficult conditions. I felt the differences most during conversations with my friends and brother, when politics have become a topic non grata. So I decided to explore these complicated emotions in the only way I know how – by making a film – and I realised I had the perfect vessel for that in Joe’s car.

During production, I thought I was making a film about culture, not geopolitics. There were absolutely no plans for the opening text and the protest clips. But politics somehow found their way back, because they never leave. I realised that I, or we as Hong Kongers, am nowhere near done with processing the trauma of 2019 and its aftermath. So this film is another chapter in my continued series of unpacking that trauma and seeking solace through sharing.

This is my first serious foray into documentary filmmaking, and the more challenging the process became, the more rewarding it felt. It took many edits to figure out the structure of the film. I knew I was going to be part of the film, but I never expected myself to essentially become a co-protagonist. Throw away all the heavy politics and existential questioning, there lies a story of friendship, catching me by total surprise. Even if one doesn’t fully understand the political situation, friendship is universal and travels 8,000 miles.