Hong Kong: City on Fire
Hong Kong: City on Fire is a startling account of the pro-democracy movement that shook Hong Kong and the Chinese government's crackdown forcing many Hong Kongers to flee to the United Kingdom. Taking us from Hong Kong’s 1997 handover from British rule into Chinese administrative control, and all the way to 2019 when a controversial extradition bill is greeted with massive street protests, this urgent film beds in with Hong Kong’s pro- democracy demonstrations, offering a frontline 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, Hong Kong: City on Fire is a brave document of troubled times.
Directed by Choi Ka-yan and Lee Hiu-ling.
Produced by Sinead Kirwan.
“An unflinching chronicle of the pro-democracy protests that sent shock waves through Hong Kong in 2019,
Choi Ka Yan and Lee Hiu Ling’s vital, politically urgent documentary witnesses the fight for freedom from the frontline.”
★★★★ – The Guardian
“Unbearably tense...a propulsive piece of storytelling” – Screen Daily
“...a story of hope, love, chaos and solidarity among strangers.” – Film Ink
★★★★ - Total Film
I used percussive elements to drive the action in the film - recording my own sounds as well as the sounds of tear gas, rubber bullets and metallic hits captured on location. I found an incredible sample of an umbrella opening which I used as a metaphor for the Umbrella Movement as well as the gesture of protecting one self from danger.
I used rapid, distorted arpeggiated synth patterns as well as glitchy white noise to symbolise the break down of communication between the police and the Hong Kong people. This motif was surrounded by falling ambient sounds that I wanted to mimic the moans of the Hong Kong people, as if they were ghosts returning to their homes.
One of our lead characters, Shing Long, is always seen in black with his gas mask and protest gear. This made it difficult to recognise him on screen. As a result, I created a character motif for him - one that rises and falls, just like Hong Kong’s democracy movement as well as Shin Long’s inner battles of protecting Hong Kong whilst having responsibilities as a father and husband.