In a time marked by uncertainty, emotional fatigue, and an increasing sense of disconnection, encounters with individuals who embody clarity, sincerity, and purpose take on renewed significance. The visit of film director HOU Zuxin to CW Chu College, was one such moment—but more importantly, it was a return shaped by relationship.

At the heart of this visit stood the Master of CW Chu College, Prof Suk Ying WONG, not only a distinguished educator but also the mentor who invited HOU back to the University. Their connection, formed during HOU’s undergraduate years at CUHK, laid the foundation for this homecoming. It is through this enduring bond—spanning nearly two decades—that the visit acquires its deeper meaning.

HOU’s visit, from 13 to 18 April, unfolded not simply as a series of institutional engagements, but as a continuation of a teacher–student relationship grounded in care, respect, and mutual recognition. Bookended by the High Table Dinner on 14 April and the Night Talk on 16 April, her time at the College was structured by these key occasions while allowing space for more personal moments of connection in between.

HOU’s visit unfolded not simply as a series of institutional engagements, but as a continuation of a teacher–student relationship grounded in care, respect, and mutual recognition. By welcoming HOU back not only as an accomplished filmmaker but as ‘her student,’ Prof WONG transformed the occasion into something more than a professional engagement. It became a moment of reconnection—one that bridges past and present, mentorship and achievement.

During her stay, HOU brought with her not only her professional identity as a director, screenwriter, and former participant of Sing! China, but also a way of seeing shaped by sociology, lived experience, and a deep commitment to storytelling. More significantly, her visit illuminated a constellation of women—herself, Prof WONG, the women she has documented, and members of the College such as Ms Jenny HSU—whose lives collectively redefine what it means to be ‘fascinating’.

HOU Zuxin’s trajectory reflects a compelling synthesis of intellectual inquiry and creative expression. A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, she has built a career defined by sociological awareness, documentary sensibility, and a distinctive female perspective.

Her award-winning short documentary My Dad’s A Rocker (《老搖滾》) emerged from a deeply personal and transformative moment. While studying abroad, she returned to China after her father, the pioneering rock musician HOU Muren, suffered a stroke. Taking a year-long leave of absence, she documented his life, capturing not only an intimate family story but also the broader history of Chinese rock across three decades. The film received major international recognition, including the Best Short Documentary Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival and the IDA Best Student Documentary Award.

Her work extends into narrative cinema with The Italian Recipe (《遇見你之後》), a China–Italy co-production that reflects her sensitivity to emotional nuance and cross-cultural storytelling. Across both documentary and fiction, HOU demonstrates a sustained commitment to understanding human lives in their social contexts, often through a perspective shaped by empathy and attentiveness.

Beyond these forms, she has also shown remarkable versatility in commercial storytelling. In 2018, she directed two widely circulated promotional films for the China Meteorological Administration, which gained attention for their inventive use of anthropomorphism and emotional depth. By reimagining weather forecasting through the figure of a mysterious ‘man in black’, she transformed an otherwise impersonal service into a narrative of care and presence. Through humour, contrast, and narrative reversal, weather prediction became an act of protection and attentiveness. These works, widely shared online, demonstrate her ability to bring warmth and narrative richness to institutional communication.

HOU’s return to CUHK nearly two decades after her undergraduate years was both a homecoming and a rediscovery. Having enrolled in 2006 as a sociology student at New Asia College, she returned to a campus transformed in both structure and atmosphere. The existence of CW Chu College, which had not yet been established during her student years, symbolised this institutional change.

Upon arrival, she found herself momentarily disoriented, asking for directions—a small but resonant moment. The familiar had shifted, and returning required rediscovery.

This process unfolded through simple yet meaningful acts: revisiting landmarks, locating her name on the graduation wall, and moving across campus in ways she had never done before. She was accompanied by close friends from her undergraduate years, formed through the University Putonghua Debate Team. Their presence transformed the visit into a reunion, reaffirming that the most enduring legacy of university life lies not only in intellectual formation, but in relationships that persist over time.

The High Table Dinner on 14 April served as the formal centrepiece of HOU’s visit, yet she transformed the occasion into something vivid and unconventional. In a setting defined by academic ritual—one she humorously likened to Harry Potter—she chose not to rely on PowerPoint slides, instead speaking freely and engaging the audience through storytelling. A highlight was the screening of a clip from My Dad’s A Rocker, allowing the audience to experience her cinematic voice directly.

The evening reached a memorable peak when she performed an a cappella rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’. Her unaccompanied voice filled the hall with clarity and depth, creating a moment of quiet resonance that transcended the formality of the setting. This performance revealed her multifaceted identity—not only as a filmmaker, but also as a storyteller through sound.

At the heart of her talk were two central ideas. The first was the importance of empathetic listening, rooted in her sociological training and fieldwork among marginalised communities. Storytelling, she argued, begins with listening—attentively, without judgement, and with respect for complexity. During an early interview with a sex worker named Lily, she posed what she later recognised as a naïve and condescending question: ‘Why did you choose this profession?’ Met with silence, she realised her mistake. Only after reformulating the question with greater humility and empathy did the conversation begin. Lily smiled and replied, ‘That’s the way to talk.’ This moment became formative in shaping HOU’s understanding of listening as an ethical practice.

The second idea was her reflection on being an ‘outsider’. She has occupied this position across multiple layers: as one of the earliest students from mainland China studying in Hong Kong; as one of the few Chinese students pursuing cinematic arts in the United States; as one of the few female directors in a male-dominated industry; and as an American-trained filmmaker working within European film contexts. Although she often found herself at the margins, she gradually came to see this position as a source of strength. She recalled a moment of parting from one of her most reliable crew members when she tried to suppress her emotions. Her Italian colleague embraced her and reminded her that it was acceptable to cry. In that moment, HOU realised that vulnerability does not undermine leadership—it can coexist with it. Being an outsider, she suggested, sharpens perception and nurtures originality.

Together, these two ideas—attentive listening and a marginal perspective—form the foundation of her creative practice.

The Night Talk on 16 April extended these reflections into a more intimate setting. Conducted in Putonghua and attended by a full house of audience, the talk focused on the women HOU has encountered throughout her life and work.

Through stories such as her interviews with the legendary Norma Jean Almodovar, author of From Cop to Call Girl: Why I Left the LAPD to Make an Honest Living as a Beverly Hills Prostitute, alongside reflections on cinematic representations of women, HOU challenged conventional notions of strength and success. Rather than idealised figures, the women she described were marked by contradiction, vulnerability, and resilience. Their fascination lies precisely in their complexity. Storytelling, in this sense, becomes an ethical act—one that allows others to be seen in their full humanity.

Among the audience was Ms Jenny HSU, a long-serving member of the College’s cleaning staff. During HOU’s stay, Jenny cared for her with quiet generosity, sharing pineapple pastries from her hometown in Taiwan. At the Night Talk, she extended this care in a more thoughtful and relational way: by inviting a former resident tutor Tony WAN—now pursuing doctoral studies in anthropology at CUHK —to attend, she helped to gather a supportive audience for HOU. This gesture not only reflected Jenny’s pride in HOU, but also her desire to ensure that HOU’s voice would be heard, appreciated, and accompanied by a community—an act of care expressed through connection and presence.

This small yet meaningful gesture reflects the ethos of CW Chu College as an international, intimate, intellectual, and involved community, where connections extend across roles and generations, and care is expressed through everyday acts.

At the emotional centre of the visit stood Prof Suk Ying WONG, whose influence is revealed through a quiet yet enduring practice of care. With a background in social sciences and decades of teaching experience, she embodies a model of education that integrates intellectual rigour with deep human attentiveness.

This continuity of care became especially visible during HOU’s visit. On her final day, Prof WONG hurried across the dining hall to pay for her meal, apologising to others waiting in line. Later, she pressed Hong Kong dollars into HOU’s hand, concerned that she might not have cash readily available to pay for her taxi fare. She then walked alongside the departing taxi with a final gesture of warmth. Though modest in scale, these acts carried profound emotional weight. They revealed a relationship that transcends time—a form of mentorship grounded not in instruction alone, but in sustained recognition and care. For HOU, these moments reaffirmed a belief that, in an uncertain world, individuals like Prof WONG not only endure but provide a source of strength for others.

Ultimately, the significance of this visit lies in the spectrum of lives it brings into view. HOU Zuxin represents creative eminence; Prof WONG embodies enduring mentorship; the women in HOU’s stories reflect resilience; and figures such as Ms Jenny HSU demonstrate the quiet strength of everyday generosity. Together, they form a continuum—from the visible to the unseen, from celebrated achievement to quiet endurance.

These women remind us that fascination is not a matter of visibility or status, but of how lives touch, sustain one another, and endure with dignity. In them, eminence and resilience converge as intertwined forces, each illuminating the other. Through their presence, their care, and their stories, hope emerges in its most enduring form—quiet, relational, not merely feminine, but profoundly human.