Vintage vibe

Memory lane

Amid the technology-driven conformity of a digital age, Brightman's shop insists on a nostalgic mode of management — information on its books and albums rest on customers' individual exploration and shopkeeper's knowledge.

"A part of the shop is old-fashioned," Brightman said. "It's about the surprise and discovery of spending time browsing through books you never knew existed before, which gives a real sense of achievement."

The shop also boasts a red telephone booth, almost extinct in Hong Kong. Old CDs featuring famous bands and orchestras from across the world stack up next to a CD player. Up above, on the ceiling, a painting of a beautiful, blue sky with soft white clouds evokes a soothing dreamland.

"My friend and I designed a space for listening like a telephone booth, where you can pick up a CD and enjoy the music for a whole afternoon," Brightman said.

His love for a nostalgic Hong Kong began with his foray into the realm of filmmaking and a story with an old market.

His debut work when he was at the International Academy of Film and Television Hong Kong was a 15-minute documentary about Graham Street Market, a 160-year-old market in Hong Kong's Central District. As one of the oldest traditional markets in Hong Kong on the edge of demolition, the market offered a place for hawkers selling fresh produce and handmade products for local customers.

"Because of the urban redevelopment in Hong Kong, vendors have to leave and shops were hence closed. Those fruit sellers, those meat sellers, were leaving at the time," Brightman said. "I was horrified by that, and I thought to myself, I'm gonna document this."

With help from his local friend Rosa Ma, Brightman met various street vendors on Graham Street, from the uncle at the pork stall to neighbors with deep intergenerational relationships.

"I still remember the guy who sold DVDs, I would go back to the same store every year and meet the man's family. They always remembered me, and every time I went, they would have some little gift for me," Brightman said.

"I was blown away by that, because I'm just a guy from London that pops over here. They were so kind, and I could always find warmth and mutual respect from those vendors in the traditional markets."

Brightman formed a unique connection with the vendors in the old market. With his camera, he tenderly captured the stories of the old street market that still thrives amid Hong Kong's urban renewal.