Chungking House, Hotel de luxe. As Leonard Cohen sang to one of his girlfriends In New York: 'I remember you well, from the Chelsea Hotel.' Films and books have long been dedicated to the inhabitants of this and other hotels, which captured our imagination. Now for the first time, Chungking Mansion, a building complex of stores, restaurants and lodging for nearly 4000 people, joins them on film. Ivanka Bakker spent three weeks there, looking for the stories of the residents, mostly criminals, prostitutes and underground characters. She wasn't given permission to film, and residents were reluctant to give up their anonymity. 'In this building [...] you cannot trust', says Alice, the woman from whom Bakker rents her room. And yet a bond develops between the two women. Alice gradually reveals her story; hard work, an unhappy marriage. With its narrow corridors and stairwells, and windowless rooms, this complex defies all humanity. Its tiled walls are reminiscent of an imposing institution. Even the filmmaker enters into its anonymity. The sole, and misleading, window to the outside world is the television, and its commercials: 'Think of a city that is progressive, free, stable, where opportunity abounds and quality is premium. A community that is innovative, cosmopolitan, enterprising and well-connected. This is Hong Kong, Asia's world city!' 2002 the Nederlands / Hong Kong 32 Dutch, Chinese and English English subtitles