15 Hong Kong movies that will help you better understand Occupy Central
By Coconuts Hong Kong October 8, 2014 / 13:35 HKT
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Hong Kong is complicated. It was a British colony, but now it’s part of China again, but it still has its own government. People identify as Chinese, but also as Hongkongers, and they’re fiercely proud of the international nature of the city as well.
Hong Kong’s legendary movie industry has for decades been an outlet for creatives to examine the city’s identity and history. What better medium to use to educate oneself on Hong Kong’s current zeitgeist and what led to the unrest we’ve seen recently?
Shelly Kraicer, a film critic and Chinese film academic, has compiled a list of Hong Kong movies that help to provide a social, cultural and historical background for the protests that have gripped the world’s attention for the past couple weeks.
The list, appearing in the New York Times, includes the following Hong Kong classics that star acting greats like Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat:
Triads: Election (2005) and its sequel,Election 2 (2006), are about the election of the triads’ leadership as the mainland keeps a close eye on the gangs’ politics.
Inequality: Life Without Principle(2011) is about the city’s business tycoons and increasing inequality.
Sino-British Declaration: The making of City on Fire (1987) was sparked by the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which the concept of “one country, two systems” was enshrined, and the ensuing fears about being returned to Chinese rule. On the surface, it’s about an undercover sting to stop a jewellery heist.
One country, two systems: Durian Durian (2000) is about a young sex worker who works in both Hong Kong and northeastern China.
Tiananmen Square Massacre: A Fishy Story (1989) retells the 1967 Communist riots in Hong Kong, whileA Bullet in the Head (1990) is about the Vietnam War. Both were made in response to Hongkongers’ shock about the Tiananmen crackdown on student protesters.
Social activism: Ordinary Heroes (1999) is about political activists in the 70’s and 80’s.
Moral values: A Simple Life (2011), about the relationship between a man and his family’s servant, who has been with his family for four generations, provides a window into Hong Kong society’s private life, hopes, and values.
Hong Kong identity: Made in Hong Kong (1997) is an indie film with a title and release date (the year of the Handover) that already say it all.
Colonialism: Project A (1983) is a martial arts comedy (starring Jackie Chan—who else?) set in the 1800s about pirates and the authorities’ attempt to suppress them.
Politics/Economics: From the Queen to the Chief Executive (2001) is pretty self-explanatory, while China Behind (1974) examines both communist China and capitalist Hong Kong.
Commercialism: On the Edge of a Floating City, We Sing (2012), a documentary, looks at Hongkongers trying to carve out creative and social spaces for themselves in defiance of the tycoons’ rule of the city. N+N(2012), a docu-feature, looks at a village trying to hold on in the face of the construction for a high-speed railway
Get that popcorn ready. You’ve got some homework to do.
Photo: Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2014/10/08/15-hong-kong-movies-will-help-you-better-understand-occupy-central
