A highly suspenseful Arte documentary shows the protests of Hong Kong’s democracy movement firsthand.
There is a moment when MJ is beaming with joy. The young Hong Kong Chinese bought an action figure for 110 euros. Girlfriend Jessica can hardly believe it. So much money for a two-hand-width toy. “I’m still a child,” MJ apologizes. For him, the new acquisition is a kind of reward. MJ is a member of the Umbrella Movement, which advocates independent elections, opposes the extradition of Hong Kong Chinese to China, and opposes police violence. MJ had felt the latter firsthand shortly before. A water cannon beam hit him. A caustic substance is added to the water that causes painful burns. MJ was still lucky. First responders could prevent worse.
Arte documentary “Hong Kong – A City in Resistance”: Seniors next to students
Originally, the democracy movement that emerged in 2014 avowedly made use of peaceful forms of protest. The demonstrators: inside behaved courteously towards passers-by and police officers and cleared the garbage aside after their actions. This first wave of political actions in Hong Kong subsided at the end of 2014, but came back to life when the Beijing central government was supposed to pass the “National Security Law”, which was supposed to allow extraditions from the Hong Kong special administrative region to the People’s Republic. Another move by Beijing to undermine the special status of the former British colony, which was actually valid until 2047, step by step and to further expand the already great influence of the totalitarian mainland government.
Against this background, it becomes understandable why the protests led by students were endorsed and actively supported by many people in Hong Kong, provided they did not even join the demonstrators themselves.
You can see some white-haired people in the documentary “Hong Kong: A City in Resistance”. They talk to the police officers in riot gear, scold and gesticulate. When it becomes threatening, the teens urge them to go to the back lines and to safety. Because in 2019 the law enforcement officers in Hong Kong are going tougher than ever before.
“Hong Kong – A city in resistance” (Arte): attack of the white shirts
Seven directors, one of them, Han Yan Yuen, also a producer, and eleven cameramen are literally right there when the protests begin with occupations, human chains and performances. Posters are being created high above Hong Kong with the cell phones fairy lights formed. During a peaceful demonstration, a spokesman politely asks the policemen blocking the path whether their permit is still valid and whether they can move on. He doesn’t get an answer.
On July 21, 2019, a gang of men uniformly dressed in white shirts and black pants attacked young people and brutally beat them. Uniformed police officers turn their backs on what is happening, the cameras of the collective capture it, literally. The doors of the police station are closed, reports from the victims are not recorded.
But the intention of the masterminds does not work: The democracy movement in Hong Kong is now gaining even more popularity.
In “Hong Kong – A City in Resistance”, Arte shows images that are reminiscent of George Floyd
The filmmakers: the 21-year-old law student Eve, also the narrator of the film, the student MJ and his girlfriend Jessica, the father-to-be, the activist William, stay close by their side, right in the middle of the action. It is now necessary to arm yourself with umbrellas and protective goggles against tear gas, and to put on helmets, leg guards and jockstraps. The young people organize water to rinse their eyes, first aid, and spare clothes, because the corrosive liquids and gases expelled by the police officers settle in the textiles. Local residents support them with encouraging words, donations in kind, and driving services.
When Tan is arrested using brutal violence, the picture is lost. The sound documents his torments. Restraint with the knee on, which takes your breath away and killed the black George Floyd in the United States, is a common practice among Hong Kong police officers.
“Hong Kong – A City in Resistance” (Arte): Tears in the auditorium
38 percent of those arrested are students. In a plenary meeting, the fellow students appeal to the Rector of the University of Hong Kong to take a public position against the police violence and the threat of intrusion on the campus. Some of them are traumatized, burst into tears and need support. Women report sexual assault by the police.
The courage of everyone involved is admirable. The filmmakers of the Arte documentary themselves are at risk of being injured or arrested. But they do not only move in the combat zones, they also register the doubts of their protagonists, their considerations as to how far they should go with the demonstrations, their hopes and fears, the fears of their private environment, the first signs of resignation.
“Hong Kong – A City in Resistance” (Arte)
Arte shows “Hong Kong – A City in Resistance” on Tuesday, July 13th, at 10:40 pm, and until August 11th. in the Arte media library
“Hong Kong – A City in Resistance” (Arte): Fears about the protagonists
“Hong Kong – A City in Resistance” is a documentary on Arte in the true sense of the word. Worth mentioning, because you have got used to documentaries that are assembled from archive material and perhaps supplemented by studio interviews. According to industry experts, this practice is promoted by the request of the editorial offices and funding institutions to have an exposé presented with complete content and a specified ending.
According to this model, “Hong Kong – A City in Resistance”, co-produced by WDR and Arte, could hardly have been produced. Because Cathy Chu, Evie Cheung, Huang Yuk-Kwok, Iris Kwong, Ip Kar Man, Jenn Lee and Han Yan Yuen had no way of knowing how events would develop when they reached for the cameras. That is precisely what makes the result so exciting. The British trade magazine Screen Daily even compared the documentary, which was masterfully edited by Huang Yuk-Kwok and Jenn Lee and enhanced with drone recordings and split-screen effects, with a thriller that leaves the audience permanently worried about the protagonists.
The 100-minute long film about the democracy movement in Hong Kong, which premiered this year, has already gained worldwide recognition and has been shown at festivals in Copenhagen and Sydney, among others. (Harald Keller)
