In Search Of The...Hidden Track

September 2005 – Press Release
In Search Of The …
HIDDEN TRACK

Manila, 11 August 2005 – A hidden track is an ordinary indexed track, which is not listed on an album sleeve. It’s often placed after the last track on the album after a long period of silence. Hong Kong director Aubrey Lam Oi-wah creatively uses the concept of searching for the hidden song as a metaphor for the search for elusive love in her romantic movie, HIDDEN TRACK, creating a breezy and positive film on losing and finding love, and the strange connections people make in that search. The entertaining film premieres Saturday, 10 September at 21:00 on STAR CHINESE MOVIES.

The hidden track in Taiwanese singer Jay Chou’s album is the official anthem of Popo and her ex. After the breakup, Popo begins searching desperately for that special edition, which is more difficult than she expects. In her quest, she encounters a series of different boyfriends who love various kinds of music. Loving them is like learning diverse genres of music, but she still doesn’t understand the real meaning of love. After sinking into a wretched state, the mysterious hidden track, as well as Mr. Right, eventually appear before her.

While the film's plot highlights Popo's quest for the hidden Jay Chou track, she's really looking for something else: love. It's every lovelorn Gen-X girl's dream to attain idealised love, which is just as rare and hard to find as the hidden track on a limited edition pressing of a Jay Chou CD. The double meanings of the plot are both obvious and thoughtful, and the film is rife with quirky characters and situations.

From the Chinese title of the movie (literally translated as FINDING JAY CHOU), one can guess that Jay is crucial to the film. Aside from making a cameo, Jay is also responsible for the original sound track of the movie. Although Jay only appears for ten-odd minutes, he’s a symbol in the story whose songs carry out several love stories. The reason why Jay chose this film as his debut was because the singer concurs to its perspective of love and is attracted to its music-oriented nature.

Initially, the leading actress Popo didn't suit the director’s requirement due to her average looks and chubbiness. But she told the director to give her a week’s time. Popo went on a water-fast and appeared 6kg lighter after a week. When the director saw her again, not only had she reached the requirement but she had also memorised the entire script. Director Lam was touched by Popo’s efforts, and decided to cast her as the leading actress on the spot. Popo went on to garner a Best Newcomer nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards with her film debut.

On the surface, HIDDEN TRACK seems to be a romantic chick flick about the quest for love. On closer inspection, viewers will notice the director's tantalising scene design, brimming with an eye-popping spectrum of symbolic female desire. The movie features all sorts of minor details and incidents that are meant to represent heartbreak and the search for love, giving the film a whimsical vibe. Premiering Saturday, 10 September at 21:00 on STAR CHINESE MOVIES.