When in 2019 the protests against the controversial Fugitive Offenders amendment bill started, the world became witness to events which would not only define the coming months, but also to a very problematic development in Asian politics. Various reports of excessive force used against the protesters with even innocent bystanders being suddenly victims of police brutality sent shock-waves to the world, and were well documented, for example, in features like Zhou Bing's “Hong Kong Moments”. In her documentary short, Japanese director Ikuma Hori takes a look at various people, students, artists and even former members of the police force, to capture the impact of the protests and the violence.
Montage of Hong Kong is screening at Nippon Connection
Using the technique of the montage, as indicated in the title, Hori explores various stories and supports them with coverage from various protests, some of which showing rather disturbing events like police officers beating one protester seemingly without any provocation or warning. As the people Hori interviews have been through something similar, have been beaten or arrested simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or for raising their voice, the viewer is left with the question of what might come out of these acts of brutality. The short documentary highlights the level of escalation the protests have reached, but also hints at the lasting impact to the landscape of Hong Kong, its citizens and to the idea of democracy in general.
In conclusion, “Montage of Hong Kong” is a sad, at time quite disturbing look at the protest in Hong Kong and their possible impact in democracy. Director Ikuma Hori combines stories and images to a story which hints at the damage that has been done and the ideals that have been shattered by hate and violence.
