All Hongkongers are familiar with the sight of domestic workers congregating in public spaces on Sundays, in open air locations like Victoria Park or under the shade of the HSBC headquarters in Central.
Their famously long hours mean that Sunday is often the only day they have all week to socialise, partake in personal hobbies or eat food from their home countries.
Independent filmmaker Sam Keung has created a documentary series entitled ‘Sunday Girls’, which shares not only what these women do on their only day off, but also a little bit of their history and hopes for the future.
One of the women interviewed, Mercy Permales, is a veritable queen of multitasking – a black belt in Taekwondo, she uses her Sundays to attend church, preside over the local branch of the United Philippine Taekwondo Organization, and occasionally meet with her other organisation that encourages female domestic workers to learn how to drive.
An interviewee from Indonesia speaks of her desire to better her English, and steadfastly wheels a suitcase to Victoria Park every week to set up a “mobile library”, come rain or shine.
Despite their grueling hours, these women manage to fit a dizzying array of activities into their one precious day off, and somehow remain sunny and optimistic. While the stories vary throughout the videos, they are all underpinned with a sense of unwavering cheerfulness that is frankly inspiring.
Videos: Sam Keung/The Sunday Project
