Hong Kong: City on Fire – Movie Review
Director: Lee Hiu-Ling, Choi Ka-yan
Plot: This urgent film beds in with Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrations, offering a front-line portrait of four young protesters through a year of struggle. We see their hopes for a freer life and feel their fears as the authorities crack down. Pulse-racing scenes bring the viewer to street level, where peaceful protest is met with fury and tear gas. Clear-eyed about the complications and contradictions that come with a movement that changed Hong Kong forever, it is a brave document of troubled times.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Hong Kong: City on Fire
Hong Kong: City on Fire is a documentary that takes us behind the scenes of the demonstrations in Hong Kong. It follows four young protestors as they film their accounts of what is happening with the decision. This shows the riots caused by the decision and how the police caused more problems.
In this documentary, we get to see how the battle between fair protest and being treated like criminals. Each person has a different story and a different place in showing what is happening. It shows how the decision caused so much uproar and protesting quietly against it caused chaos in the city.
This does feel like an important documentary and it does get to show a side of the story that is being kept quiet. It would be one worth watching even if not everything is made completely clear what is being fought for.
Where to Watch: Hong Kong: City on Fire is in cinemas on 22 November.
Final Thoughts –Hong Kong: City on Fire is an important documentary about a difficult time in a city.
