An endearing medley of Hong Kong places and symbols spanning the 1980s to the 2000s, this film captures the bittersweet essence of growing up in a rapidly changing city.
Three childhood friends—Kin, Heem, and Hoyi—witness a giant UFO hovering over their public housing estate in Aberdeen. This shared, unexplained event becomes a defining moment of their childhood, filled with wonder and innocent hope. The film tells a story of a special part of Hong Kong and also unfolds as a delayed rite of passage, showing how the characters’ youthful wishes contrast with the realities of adulthood.
The story draws inspiration from an urban legend of a UFO sighting around forty years ago at Wah Fu Estate, Hong Kong’s first public housing estate designed with a “self-sufficiency” concept. Wah Fu’s 1960s modernist architecture, complete with markets, schools, and a library, provides a naturally photogenic backdrop. Its patios, open skies, and panoramic sea views become integral to the film’s visual storytelling, representing openness and connection.
The friendship among the three children—along with a younger brother who cements their reunion—reflects the intimacy of estate life. Growing up in the same community, they shared markets, canteens, and schools, with easy contact just a door knock away. A memorable scene shows Hoyi flashing Morse code through Heem’s window to say goodbye, underscoring the closeness fostered by their environment. Childhood play extended to rooftops, waterfalls, and beaches, filmed with scenic warmth and dialogue that highlight their unique bonding.
The film opens with the caption (paraphrased): “Those were the days, little did we know they were the golden days.” This sets the nostalgic tone. The first 40 minutes overflow with cultural icons of Hong Kong in the 1980s and 90s—punctuating the memories of those who have lived among them. The nostalgia is bittersweet, a mixture of warmth and soreness, echoing the Greek nóstos (homecoming) and álgos (pain). The adult characters, disoriented and weary, preserve these memories like a time capsule, reopening them only during reunion.
As adults, the friends are unfulfilled—lacking love, family, or financial stability. Only Hoyi seems to find direction, becoming a certified accountant and preparing for marriage. Heem, battling leukemia since childhood, and Kin struggle with careers and relationships. The upcoming wedding reunites them, and once again an emergency unfolds. Hoyi longs to escape societal pressures and gravity, symbolised by wanting to leave Earth, while the UFO motif bridges past and present, earth and space.
The UFO serves as a surreal yet fitting metaphor for ordinary lives touched by mystery and determinism. Its recurrence underscores cyclical themes: the Chinese title joi kin (再見) means both “to see again” and “goodbye,” while ciao in Italian conveys both greeting and farewell. In one poignant scene, the adult characters encounter their younger selves, embodying both reunion and parting. The film in reality faced delays, premiering at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival in 2019 but only releasing seven years later due to investor conflicts and the pandemic—another return after absence.
During that encounter, the adults ask their younger selves: “Can we go back to the past?” Children shook their heads. “Can we be you again?” Children nodded. While we cannot reverse aging, getting ill or societal change, we can preserve our inner child. The film evokes the hope, energy and innocence that Hong Kong once had, reminding us that though the future is unknown, memory and identity endure.
Ciao UFO is a tribute to Wah Fu Estate, which is scheduled for redevelopment from 2027 onwards.
Perhaps we all need a flying object—mysterious and luminous—to guide us when we are lost.
Ciao UFO (2019)
Also known as再見UFO
Cantonese
Director: Patrick Leung
Writers: Amy Chin, Ho-Yan Kong
CAST
Tien You Chui – Chan Chi-Kin
Charlene Choi – Lam Hoy-Yi
You-Nam Wong – Ho Ka-Him
Michelle Wai – Yan
Siu hin Ng
Rahcel Leung
Michael Ning
Pak-Hong Chu
Anthony Chan
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