Sunday, April 3, 2016

The Movie - “Ten Years“ / 十年

“Ten Years Traditional Chinese Name: 十年 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years_(film) ), a Hong Kong movie released in 2015 directed by Jevons Au, Kwun-wai Chow, Ng Ka-Leung, Kwok Zune, and Wong Fei-Pang. 

I have always thought Hong Kong people are never really that concerned about politic.  As long as there’s money to earn and a good living to be made, not a lot people care about it.  The past 4 years I lived in Hong Kong, the “Umbrella Revolution” (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29407067) and Hong Kong Bookseller Lee Bo (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35693759) happened making me and a lot of Hong Kong people become increasing concerned about the political situation in Hong Kong.

“Ten Years” did say some of what a lot of Hong Kong people feel about the political situation in Hong Kong and our despairs.  From a lot of angles, this movie, at least to me, is not amazing enough to title the Best Movie.  With such highly sensitive political content, I was expecting that the movie would not be able to air in China.  It is not surprising that China's state-run Global Times newspaper commented that the film as "totally absurd" and a "virus of the mind."

But what I did not expect is that it would be pulled from cinema in Hong Kong and it is only available in private cinemas.  I have never thought the censorship in China may one day happen in Hong Kong.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Movie Academy, Derek Yee Tung Sing, said at the Award he cannot find Presenter of the Best Movie so he has to do it himself because of what recently happened and Andrew Choi, Producer of “Ten Years”, in his thank-you speech thanks for the Academy to have the guts to give us this award.  What hammered it home is my husband’s comment “I wonder whether the movies produced or directed by Derek Sing will be banned in the future..”.

These adds up that the government has been pressuring the Academy and the Film industry – the freedom of speech.  I have been prepared that it would happen eventually I guess but have never thought it happen so soon.  Fuck the promise “50 years unchanged” stated in the Basic Law. What Hong Kong people fear the most is happening.  Something is inevitable.  I guess we know it but is it the right thing to accept it? 

It is interesting to live in such time in Hong Kong.  What the government do, how the Hong Kong people react and the situation in Hong Kong made me reflect and learn.  From my travel, I have envy people in countries that nurture their political point of view, having the intelligent and mind to speaks and have a view point of politic.  They seem so passionate about their view point and about their country while I feel nothing being born in a colonial city though raised in Canada later part of my life. 

Now I learn that not having a view point about politic perhaps because I was lucky that politic was not an issue as I was living a peaceful and abundant life where I was provided everything I needed in a safe society and being treated fairly with human right I deserved.

From Instagram nigelyau hashtags #十年 #publicspace #Cityisourplayground



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