街市或許是其中一種最古老的社會發明；中環街市則自香港開埠起就於現址營業，出售最優質、最新鮮的食材，養活了許多家庭，也見證這個城市的高低起伏。
170多年來，中環街市歷經三次清拆、兩次重建，現存的現代主義建築建於1939年，於1990年被列為三級歷史建築，自2003年街市關閉後，去留存廢爭議不斷，保育方案推倒重來，至2017年才正式動工復修，得以活化和保育。2021年夏季，重新開張營業，成為眾人的遊樂場。
但活化並非只是建築或工程之事，更重要是人的故事。惟有真實的人生活在其中，才談得上真正的活化。
《我們的中環街市》訪問六位曾在中環街市營生或採購的檔主和街坊，憶述昔日生活點滴，以及對活化後的中環街市的期望。除了實景拍攝受訪者話當年，本片輔以動畫和航拍，帶大家由不同視角看中環街市的今昔。
本片為人文圖書館「打書釘」首部製作的紀錄片，紀念中環街市於2021年夏季完成活化工程，重開營業。同名書籍同期出版，全書中英雙語，全彩印刷，收錄17位受訪者訪問，包括檔主、顧客、學者、建築師和關注組成員等。
整個計劃獲華懋集團支持製作。
《我們的中環街市》
類型：紀錄片
片長：30分鐘
語言：粵語、英語；中英文字幕
監製：黎穎詩
導演：陳浩倫
Market is perhaps one of the most ancient social inventions. The Central Market is as old as Hong Kong as a port city, selling food of the best quality and providing necessities for generations and generations of families. The market is a witness of how the city has evolved.
Over the past 170 years, Central Market has been demolished three times and rebuilt twice. The existing modernist architecture was completed in 1939. The market was then given a Grade 3 historic building status in 1990. Since the market’s closure in 2003, there had been debates over its preservation or demolition. Conservation plans were once formulated and scrapped. In the summer of 2017, the revitalisation project finally kicked off. Four years later, which is the summer of 2021, Central Market reopened as a playground for all.
Conservation and revitalization are not only about architecture and engineering. In fact, people’s stories are as important. Any sensible conversation about revitalisation has to factor in people’s lived experiences.
Central Market Rendezvous is a collection of interviews with six individuals who used to work or shop at Central Market. They tell us what they remember about the old Market, as well as their expectations for the Market as it reopens. Apart from personal interviews, this short film also includes animations and aerial shots that allow us to view Central Market from different angles.
This is the first documentary produced by Nose in the Books in the summer of 2021, in light of the completion of Central Market’s revitalization. We also published a bilingual book under the same name, which compiles 17 interviews with vendors, customers, a scholar, architect, and members from a concern group.
The project is supported by Chinachem Group.
Central Market Rendezvous
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 30 minutes
Language: Cantonese and English (with Chinese and English subtitles)
Producer: Dr. Chloe Lai
Director: Chan Ho-lun Fredie
